


Potential

by Kaoz



Series: Phade [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-18
Updated: 2007-06-17
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>#5  I was sent with a gift and though it’s not the normal kind of thing you’d send your exgirlfriend I guess in the world we were living it made sense.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

Why me? I mean, yeah! I'm strong I can fight, do things not everyone else can but why me?

Then again glancing at the little girl next to me I guessed this was why.

When Faith had told us about the weird knife attack I just figured crazy inmate. None of us thought it meant something else. When Willow arrived and she spilled on the whole 'Potentials' baggage and the glowy ball of pain that hit me… Jesus I wanted to tear every strand of red hair out of her wiccan head! Not that I didn't try but Faith and Angel were stronger together than apart so… not a chance in hell I was gonna get to do it. Not that I wanted to anymore.

If it weren't for that-. Well, I guess maybe it made more sense now, why I was supposed to be at the Hyperion, what I was supposed to do. Which is why I was in Sunnydale California. The Hell Mouth.

"Hello?" the girl was about as young as the one hiding behind me, though her curling brown hair and twinkling blue eyes shifted uncomfortably as she looked past us to the street. I glanced over my shoulder seeing it deserted and thought that was just a little too weird.

"I've brought another Potential. Is Willow here?"

The girls eyes widened at that then another figure poked out behind her.

"PJ! Yo, what brings you to the Hell Mouth?" the brazen voice reached me before the dark Slayer did but as her smiling face came around the corner I could see the smile she wore. Right then I would have strangled my little brother for that stupid nickname. I mean why couldn't they be more creative?

I let out an exasperated breath and went inside. "How many times do I have to tell you-?" the often repeated phrase received the usual brush off

"I know, but its not as much fun. So who's the half pint?" Faith asked glancing at the dark girl behind me.

"Says she brought another Potential." The girl with brown hair put in. Faith just looked at her, eyes slightly squinting.

 _'She has no idea what the girls name is. Unbelievable!'_

"What's your name kid?" I asked. She looked like no one had bothered asking her that before and I wondered what the hell was going on here.

"You know what. Just take Sabine and get her settled."

"Sabine?" Faith asked with an arched eyebrow as both girls went up the stairs.

"Hey, I didn't name her. Besides, what's wrong with Sabine? It's not like they named her Faith." I quipped with a slight smile touching my lips. Faith laughed outright and grabbed my arm already heading towards the doorway.

"Come on in and meet the rest of the gang."

The rest of the gang as it turns out consists of an ex-Watcher, as if we don't have one back in LA. Then there's the ex-vengeance demon, and again we have one that's still retains his demon status though this one, Anya happens to be Xander's ex-fiancé. Xander, Willow and Buffy's best guy friend and all around fix it guy. Now, well we don't really have one of those I don't think…

"You guys have a lot of ex's around here." I commented. "Anyone here _not_ somebody's ex?" I wondered but seeing the annoyed expression on Mr. Giles I just shrugged.

"Buffy's not here at the moment." He said wiping at his glasses in the same way Wes would wipe at his when he was annoyed or buying time while he thought. I arched an eye brow and gave Mr. Giles my full attention. He noticed and cleared his throat a tad disconcerted. "Will you be staying-?"

"Here?" I asked in shock. I looked around hearing the other girls not with Buffy clearly running rampant in the house. "Oh no…" I replied with a chuckle. "I have a safe place." And that was a total bold faced lie. Too bad none of them knew that.

It had taken some doing but I managed to get out of the house and into the night. It wasn't too late I couldn't get some recon done and if I was really lucky maybe I'd get to kill something.

So before I went looking for a hotel I drove around Sunnydale trying to get the lay of the land. Not something I liked doing but it had to be done and I was good at it. Just add another thing to my list of extra abilities.

"Ooh, a cemetery. Isn't that just my luck?" I wondered out loud. I knew already, even before I pulled over, that this was going to be eventful.

There was a good spot up ahead and I parked under the branches of a weeping willow which effectively hid my Shelby. I love this car. More than words could ever say.

I opened the trunk while slipping out of my coat. I set it down in the corner taking the leather belt and slipping it on. I buckled the straps around my thighs before slipping the Sai into the sleeves. On impulse I strapped on two silver stakes before closing the trunk and heading into the cemetery.

It was dark but the moon was out tonight so there was no need for the violet glow. I took my time walking through the paths noticing the clean well kept lawns and the head stones all lined up. In a way they looked like bones the way they were all lit by the moon. Maybe I was getting a little morbid with all this talk of bones but I couldn't help it.

The paths continued but I set off through the lawns feeling the silence creep in. I kept looking around, alert for anything undead wishing I'd find them sooner rather than later. I mean this is a HellMouth! Where the hell are all the demons and undead?

"Damn, it's too quiet." I grumbled then slid on the wet grass. "Fuck!"

I was lucky I didn't fall on my ass though I did curse my very comfortable and cute maryjanes. I had bought them for the heel, well partly. It's just that when you're in my line of work you can't always wear heels especially stiletto's and I love those. The Mary Jane's? The square heel kept me from sinking into the soft ground and I loved the warm wine color not that running in them wasn't easy cuz it was.

I wasn't exactly dressed for hunting but I hadn't had a chance to change out of my work clothes. Then again who lets their employees wear jeans in an office?

Gotta love Angel.

It wasn't cold, not too much anyway so I left my corduroy coat in the car and walked around wearing my shiny plum satin blouse, dark navy jeans and cute maryjanes. Not that I was hiding the Sai strapped to my sides or the silver stakes in my cuff.

Finally, I heard noise and moved in that direction. I kept my attention on my surroundings while trying to distinguish the sounds. I tilted my head not sure if I was correct but the next muffled grunt said I'd just hit pay dirt. Well, at the very least I was gonna get to put something in the ground.

Behind the next line of trees I could make out two figures and then a third, much bigger one.

"Come on poppet, hit me." the male voice was laced with mirth but not the kind that's happy. No, this one sent a small shiver through me which I welcomed. Somehow the pleasant tone managed to convey a large amount of menace. I watched for a moment as the two girls tried to fend off the vampire that was toying with them. He looked to be enjoying himself as he smacked another one down. I knew it wouldn't be long before he tired of playing with them and then he'd really enjoy himself.

I had the stake in hand before I thought about it and stepped through the trees. The vampire didn't notice me, didn't hear because I made no sound but he felt the stake as it imbedded into his thigh. He yelled bending low as he grabbed at my stake. He pulled his hand away as it burned and I smiled. Now I knew they were no different…

"Turn around." He could hear the menace lacing my voice and as he turned I kicked his chest sending him to the wet grass in a bundle of limbs.

The vampire clutched at his thigh were my stake protruded. The girls looked at me with big wide eyes and I noticed they held stakes. Mr. Giles had said Buffy was training some of the girls. I wondered if these were part of that group or was Buffy sending the girls alone? The others hadn't mentioned that, just said she was training some of the Potentials with Spike.

I knew about 'Spike'. I'd read all about him and the others long before I came here. Not that Wes had much on them.

I was assuming this was the same 'Spike' I'd read about and I really didn't care. He didn't have a soul, he wasn't like Angel and all the things _William_ had done still counted. That meant I had every right to send him right back to hell.

"Wot the bloody hell is wrong with you!" he yelled. It was obvious it pained him to get up but he did.

As answer I kicked him. He doubled over giving me a perfect opening and I rammed my knee in his face. I heard the slight crunch and then he howled like a little puppy as he fell on his back.

"What are you doing?" one of the girls cried.

"Playing."

"You can't-!" they exclaimed.

"I can and am. Until he bores me then he's just another pile of ash." I ground out. What the hell was wrong with these girls? What was Buffy thinking to have this walking suck head around the Potentials in the first place? I didn't buy the whole he's good now krap.

The vampire was scrambling away from me and I noticed his leg was steaming.

"Allergic to silver are you?" the smile on my face was anything but pleasant and he wasn't sure what to think. "Burns. Does it hurt much?" I asked already crouching next to him, the second stake held loosely in my hand.

"Who are you?" he rasped.

"Why?" his face changed going from human to vampire.

"So I know what to write on your bloody head stone!" he raged. I felt the air move dangerously close to my face as he raked it with long nails. It pissed me off and I rammed the stake into his shoulder without thinking as I rolled back.

"Spike!" the girls screeched then I had them on me.

To be honest, as it was it wasn't a fair fight. Add to that how pissed off I was and it really wasn't nice, not nice at all.

I flipped to my feet blocking the skinny screeching girl with long brown hair. I wrapped it around my hand pulling her close and slapped her hard before shoving her away. She was going to feel that one in the morning. I rolled forward away from the kick aimed at my head. These girls were obviously Buffy's and it wasn't because of their impressive skills, they had none.

"Come on. Try and hit me." I goaded them and the little stick still feeling the sting of my palm came at me obviously pissed. "Bad idea, twiggy." She went down again then the vampire was to my left coming at me with a right hook. I turned slapping his fist past my face and brought the Sai in a clean arc cutting through his neck. He stumbled back clutching at the bleeding wound in surprise.

"I'm not a Slayer." I whispered smiling slightly. His eyes widened too late to move as I threw the Sai. He slammed into the tree behind him my Sai sticking out of his stomach. It wasn't a mortal wound but it had to hurt especially the silver. I smiled feeling very satisfied with my work so far. I was letting off some tension, working out my aggression and what better way to take out all my anger than to pin a vampire to a tree and make his un-life extremely uncomfortable not to mention miserable.

"Hey, these are expensive." I said flipping the Sai so they pointed at the blood staining my knee then time moved at a sluggish pace and I knew this was another warning. I moved my body so that once time returned to normal I could see the danger. I used my Sai to block turning the blade at the last moment. The wooden stake thudded into the grass. Well, the two pieces then I lightly jabbed the twig in the jaw and she went down. They were human after all, no sense in hurting them. I turned going down on my knee and grabbed the other girl's ankle. As soon as I stood pulling my arm up high she flipped over and landed face down on the grass. I bet she was wondering how she got there.


	2. Two

Both girls found themselves lying on the cold grass stakes cut in half by my Sai and having trouble breathing. They would live but I couldn't say the same thing for the vampire.

"What's wrong?" I asked advancing slowly. "Trouble breathing? Mmm, you don't breathe." I answered smiling. His face showed his unease and that only made me happier. "It must be the bloody smile on your neck."

He couldn't move since my Sai had him perfectly pinned to the tree trunk. He was smoking from each wound where the silver still pierced his body. He did try and yank the blade out of his gut but only hurt himself more with each yank on the hilt.

I flipped the Sai in my hand feeling the cool metal on my skin. I can't explain how comforting that is and maybe I'm just weird but the weapon felt like it was a part of me.

"STOP!" a new voice ordered and since suck head wasn't going anywhere… "Don't kill him."

I turned. There she was. The petite blond with green eyes looking pissed off and ready to fight with a group of young girls just behind her. Gee, who could it be?

"You must be Buffy." I said and waved a hand. "Be right with ya." I turned my attention on the vampire ready to make another pile of ash which the wind would disperse before long when she threatened me.

"Put the knife down or I'll do it for you." The steely tone of her voice brought my attention towards the Slayer again. I scoffed in disbelief because clearly she was out of her mind. I decided to ignore that and sighed looking at my Sai. The blade shimmered in the moonlit night looking very pretty in a deadly sort of way.

"Why does everyone think this is a knife?" I asked her. "Didn't your Watcher teach you about weapons?" she scowled and I bet she was wondering how I knew about her having a Watcher. It made me smile inside, the fact that I knew who she was and what she did while she had no idea who I was or what I did.

"This," I raised the Sai and flipped it showing off the blade and my skill. "Is called a Sai. They're offensive weapons. Used for killing and was first introduced in Japan." I pointed to the vampire behind me. "This thing is dead. It needs to be put to rest."

"That _thing_ has a name, Spike. And he's with us." Buffy hooked a finger behind her to encompass the girls who obviously looked uncomfortable. I glanced once over my shoulder to the blond vampire and grimaced before looking at the girls.

"The Potentials don't look too…" I shrugged not really needing to contradict her if that's what she wanted to believe. "Well, if you say so."

"I do. Now who are you?" she motioned two of the girls toward the tree.

"Me?" I shrugged watching as the two girls hurried past me to the vampire. They looked at me apprehensively and I offered them a small smile of reassurance. It was meant to let them know I wasn't going to kill them. "Name's Phade Vartan. I brought something that belongs here."

"Like what?" I could see her glancing past me to where the girls were having trouble dislodging her toy.

"Another girl. From LA-." I stopped because she wasn't really listening. "Do you mind?" I asked pointing behind me. She arched an eyebrow to which I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, please!" I turned feeling my back tense and I knew she had some weapon in her hand. "He'd be ash already if I'd wanted to."

"Move." I told the girls both of whom jumped out of my way like I would burn them. Not that they knew-.

The Sai made a squishy sound and just out of spite I twisted the blade as it came out then the vamp fell to his knees, gasps of pain, which sounded like heaven to my ears, sputtered out of his mouth. I moved out of the way holding out a hand for my stakes which the girls gingerly placed in my palm before bending to help him up.

"Why do you keep him around?" I said frowning as the girls carried him behind Buffy. "He's not very good."

"That's none of your business." She motioned for the girls to leave turning to follow them.

"Actually." I said stopping her retreat. "It is."

"She's a what?" Buffy asked feeling herself tense up.

"I-I know its not-." Willow stammered seeing her friends face harden. After the way the girls had brought in Spike-. Well, Buffy had a right to be angry. Who was going to train the girls while he recovered? It wasn't as if they had a lot of time to prepare for the fight ahead nor did they have another vampire that could…

"She's too old to be a Potential!" Buffy exclaimed. She was angry that no one had told her about the woman and more angry that she knew who and what Buffy was but the fact that she worked for Angel, actually _lived_ in his hotel…

"The spell I used to find Amanda also found Phade." Willow replied. "I know it doesn't make sense but I saw it and she was telling the truth about it."

"Buffy, though most of these girls are in their teens-." Giles interjected taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose. Her green eyes flashed as she turned to him.

"No!" her palm slapped the table top in anger. "She's like what? Twenty something? A Slayer's never lived that long." Buffy refused to hear him.

"You have, B." at Faith's comment the others quieted.

"That's different. I've died twice already!" Buffy turned her glare on Willow. "How do you know she didn't lie?"

"Buffy…" Willow sighed once again trying to explain. "Phade has this… she's…" the witch wiped at her face in consternation. "She's a telepath."

The dining room was silent; even Buffy's angry stare lost some of its heat as she considered that.

"I know how this sounds but that doesn't change the fact of what she is or that my spell lobs her in with the others." Willow waved at the girls currently in residence.

"Telepath?" Xander echoed wondering how he was going to keep his thoughts to himself and then his face heated as he realized she'd probably already seen-.

"Be that as it may. She's brought another Potential." Giles interjected bringing everyone's attention back to the reason Phade had come to Sunnydale. "Sabine Andreas. She's 13 and knows about us, what she is. Seems some one has explained to her what a Slayer is and her purpose for existing." Every one looked towards Faith. She noticed and quickly threw her hands up as if to ward them off.

"Hey, Wesley was a Watcher." Faith answered from her seat at the end of the dining room table. At their looks she shrugged. "What? He was. Besides, Phade's good. We could use her in the fight plus she can help us train the others…"

"Buffy. If Angel sent her…" Giles began. His first impression of the young woman said that she was worth trusting, for the time being. He wasn't naïve to think Angel had sent her only to deliver another Potential. The vampire had caused him enough grief to last a life time and he wasn't about to let him inflict more pain.

"Enough with dead boy." Xander interrupted. He moved away from the wall dropping his arms. "What are we going to do with 'Wonder Woman'?"

"Read enough comics?" Dawn asked from the doorway. Everyone turned at the unexpected interruption not that living in a house full of teenaged girls contained much privacy.

Buffy took the short two steps towards the dining room doorway and placed a gentle hand on her sister's arm.

"You shouldn't be up, Dawn." Buffy couldn't keep from eyeing the livid hand print still on Dawn's cheek from Phade's slap. Again she felt the anger rise inside at the woman's complete disregard.

"Oh right cuz I'm such a fragile thing." she retorted feeling Buffy's domineering attitude rise again. Not for the first time did she wish Buffy would just chill and be more her sister than a mother.

"Dawn-."

"Okay time for a break you two." Xander moved in calling attention to himself but as always…

"Faith's right, Buffy. That girl was fast. Dana and I both went at her at the same time and Spike-." Dawn drew in a breath shaking her head. Her blue eyes mirrored Buffy's concern. "Buffy, she went three against one and didn't break a sweat. Not to mention Spike, impaled, not much help and he's a vampire." She finished with an off hand shrug. Faith nodded silently. Buffy caught her look and frowned.

"I've seen her fight. She'd give Angelus a run for his money." Faith didn't say Phade had actually done just that. Not to mention the fact that Phade had gotten her in a body lock, then again, not something that was gonna help her image as the dark Slayer.

At mention of Angelus, Willow went deathly pale and hoped that Buffy wouldn't notice. She hadn't told any of them about her trip to LA not that there had been much time for anyone to ask her.

"Fine." Buffy said. Everyone raised their heads coming out of their thoughts to look at her. "But she better follow rules."

"I what?"

"Phade… just humor her. It's the easiest way to get along." Faith said from her position on my bed.

"Humor-. Oh no." I shook my head already stomping into the bathroom to change. "This kid has no idea who I am. How can she think of giving me rules? _Rules_! God dammit. What the hell's wrong with her? She full of air?" I asked Faith waving a finger at my temple. She laughed which brought a smile to my lips. I didn't think she'd had much reason to laugh in the past and it was good she did now.

I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on my dark brown boots and sighed. Today was gonna be rough no matter how I started it so… I glanced at Faith were she lay and looked her over. The girl was obviously borrowing someone's clothes which was never a good thing.

"Hey kid. I got a great idea." I said smiling. Besides we could always get something for the other because the way they were living…

Faith barely raised her head off the bed to glance at me. "Is it good?" she asked and at my full grin she flopped back.

"Where's a vampire when you need one?"

"I can't believe I'm here." Faith said once more.

"Is this it?" I asked looking around. I hadn't thought it would be this small but at least they had what I was looking for.

"I can't believe I'm here!" Faith said again and I just laughed. The look on her face was just too funny. She looked like I was torturing her…

"Quit the winning or we're heading to Victoria's Secret first." I threatened though I did think Frederick's of Hollywood would be more her style.

"Yeah, well not today." She muttered looking around with a bit of unease.

"Oh come on." I grabbed her arm and led her to the first of many stops. I got a lot of information out of her during our expedition not to mention plenty of clothes and necessities for the girls back at the house. I've never shopped like this before and hoping there was enough work for me to pay these credit cards off was more like a prayer. The way things were going back in LA I didn't foresee that being a problem any time soon. I wondered why Buffy hadn't done the same thing Angel did and opened her own 'help the helpless' office.

Living on the HellMouth meant there was no shortage of beasties to kill and helpless to help.

Faith came out of the dressing room then and the dark jeans fit snugly down her waist and thighs slightly flaring at the knee then loosely down her calves. They were just a little long but then again we still had the shoe department to check out.

"Perfect!" I exclaimed.

"Sure." The look on her face said she didn't believe me.

"Hey! I said you look great and I mean it! Now hurry it up." By the time we called it quits the sun was down and we were late.

"Oh shit. You think they've noticed?" I asked Faith who just rolled her eyes as she got in the car. The back seat full of our 'gifts' we drove off munching on the cheese sticks and lemonade I'd bought at the mall. Both our stomachs growled but we weren't going to have time to stop and get something to eat.

"Where have you been?" Anya asked. I realize she's an ex-vengeance demon and she's not totally used to being human but since when does that qualify as an excuse for being rude?

"I don't _just_ kill vampires." I threatened.

"Nice to see you all too. So, what'd we miss?" Faith asked coming up the steps and inside with yet another set of bags. Anya eyed the parcels with an inquisitive eye nervously moving out of my way.

I'd noticed she was always just a bit fidgety and tended to make her movements very jerky, as if she didn't feel comfortable in her body.

"Just more tactical stuff but you're a Slayer so it's not all that important what with your enhanced strength and-."

"You still talking?" Faith grimaced as she came back into the living room.

"He does that a lot." Anya commented looking over the short kid. To me he gave the impression of being extremely self conscious and uncomfortable around people, maybe he was just a bit gay as well.

"Then you two would make a perfect pair." I quipped with a sweet smile. Faith guffawed as she carried another armful of bags upstairs. "Hey, you're a big boy why not pretend you're full grown and get the last of the bags from the car." I took his arm and lead him towards the door while he pulled back acting as if he were afraid to head out side.

"He can't!" Anya exclaimed. I threw her a glare as she grabbed his other arm and yanked him in the opposite direction.

"Of course he can't what with you pulling on him. What's your malfunction?" I yanked again and he squealed, face scrunching up and big fat tears slipping down his face. "Now what the hell's wrong with you?"

"What is all this racket?" Mr. Giles asked heading into the living room. All of them broke in at once voices raised and my name flew about quite often. "Silence!" he roared and I was amazed they actually obeyed. I mean they both seemed like complete babies and that usually meant they weren't into listening. "Now, Miss Vartan." He turned to me wiping at his face in that same tire way Wesley had. "What is going on?"

"I asked him to get the last bags from the car when your ex-vengeance demon started her screeching-."

"I do not screech!" Anya interrupted in her highest screech to which Mr. Giles winced. "And who told you I was a vengeance demon?"

"Didn't think it was confidential what with you always mentioning it." Faith said on her way past us. "Hey." She said by way of greeting to Mr. Giles. He barely nodded starting to say something but Anya cut him off with a glare to Faith's back.

"That's personal information! I don't go about giving out yours like the fact that you're a murderess or that you kill humans-." Anya was getting redder by the minute but Faith didn't let the woman get to her.

"How 'bout when I slept with Xander?" she threw over her shoulder.

"You what?" I asked turning to see Faith reaching into the Shelby for the last bags. I noticed the silence and turned to see Anya heading into the kitchen. "Wha-." I couldn't believe it. The woman just walked off.

"Miss. Vartan-."

"Phade." I corrected absently.

"Phade, yes, err Andrew is not exactly a guest-."

"I didn't go outside, Mr. Giles. I didn't go!" Andrew interrupted.

"Yes, yes." Rupert patted his shoulder placatingly and I couldn't help wondering about all this weirdness. This place was definitely worse than the Hyperion. Comparing both places I'd say we are the saner of both groups, hands down. "Andrew is our prisoner."

"He killed his friend and opened the seal." Faith said walking past again.

"Well, killing the friend, opening the seal. Of course." I nodded as if all this was normal. "You're all crazy."

"You're late."

I turned to the petite blond currently standing with crossed arms and glaring at me.

"We brought gifts." I said with a half smile as I headed towards her and the rest of the group currently in tactical mode.

"You're taking the kids out?" I asked from my corner. All eyes turned to me and I felt a bit uncomfortable but you never let the enemy see you flinch no matter what. Buffy and the Scooby's weren't my enemies but I was new here and letting them see my discomfort wasn't going to help.

"Did you have something else in mind?" Buffy asked all solicitous though deep down she must've been annoyed by the interruption.

"No." after a moments pause she went back to planning the nights training then sent Willow to call down the Potentials she would be taking. Buffy didn't know it yet but I was tagging along whether she asked me to or not. This was one event I didn't plan on missing. Maybe I'd volunteer for vampire duty considering _William_ still looked like he was in pain. I couldn't help the satisfied smirk though I hid it from the others. It wouldn't be polite to let them see it.


	3. Three

"Oh please, please. Can I be the vampire? Pretty please!" I rolled my eyes as I finished with the pleading. I really didn't care that the platinum infection wasn't here. He wasn't the only one who could help train these girls and they were so young. The one I'd brought with me was only 13 and there were a couple who were 12. 12! My God what the hell were the Powers That Be thinking!

"This isn't a game, Phade." Dawn, the little Key that was, had a problem with keeping her mouth shut at the most important moments. Just like this one.

"Never said it was kid. Listen," I turned to Buffy who apparently had something to say but she'd just have to wait until I finished. "I've been living with a vampire for the last two years not to mention a werewolf. I've had lots and lots of practice. Tons, all right so how 'bout we get to work cuz it's not like we have much time."

"Fine. Leave you're weapons here." Buffy pointed to the bag Kennedy held out to me. Now here was a girl who could actually-partially hold her own. She wasn't as young as the others and she enjoyed the fight. This girl liked it more than chocolate and I love chocolate… but the fighting- well, it does relieve stress.

"Ha ha ha, no." I shook my head and turned away from the group.

"Phade!"

"Look, send the blond out without a weapon and he still has fangs. Me? I'll keep mine just incase there's something else out there… do promise I won't use 'em on the kids though." I waved still walking backwards into the cemetery.

I was getting on her last nerve and I knew it. In her place I would've sent me packing at the first sign of insubordination, not that I wouldn't mind being shipped back to LA. Buffy needed all the strong bodies she could get and seeing as how I was one of the strongest here…not to mention that glowy ball of pain-!

I rolled my shoulders almost feeling the ache from the blow. I could've killed Willow if she'd been in the lobby when it happened. And why did I want to go back? Why exactly did I want to leave such a densely populated town in which I could expend all my rage on the various amounts of demons?

"I miss them."

"Alright. Phade is the vampire for now." Buffy stated. She paced in front of the girls looking each one over critically.

"Usually you go in pairs and I've sent you alone. Tonight though, we're doing something different." The smile on her face was cold and Dawn wasn't sure she liked it.

"B." Faith, watching them straightened just a little.

"Kennedy, Dawn, Amanda and Xoe." All four girls stepped away from the group each clutching their wooden stakes. They stood ready and some looked more willing than the others.

"You need to work as a team on this one. Concentrate on your surroundings, don't forget to search high as well as low. She's right." Buffy looked into the cemetery thinking of Angel. "She's been living with a vampire for the last 2yrs so she knows them better than any of you."

"Add that to her list." Faith commented. "She does things, things you wouldn't expect." She said going to stand next to Buffy. "Don't forget," Faith tapped her temple. "She knows what you're thinking."

"Go."

Once the girls were off Buffy kept staring at Faith. She wanted to ask what unexpected things Phade would do. How had she ended up with Angel? Not 'with' as in ' _with'_! At least she hoped not.

Would Angel-?

"Was she so…?"

"B. You've already asked me." Faith replied with a sigh.

"I know but she's just so…!"

Faith stifled her laugh and simply patted the blond Slayer's shoulder. "She grows on you. But you might wanna watch your thoughts…"

Buffy turned the frown on Faith only both Slayers stopped at the sound of rustling leaves.

The group of girls walking behind them kept going oblivious to the sound. Buffy sighed internally, these girls were walking bait. Not a one could focus long enough to pay attention to something that would potentially save their lives.

Had she been so careless?

 _'Merrick died so I must not have been careful enough.'_

If you ask me what these girls need is more hand to hand techniques not street training. Then again they are going to fight those ubervamps and demons not to mention those crazy fucked up priests Caleb sent after them so street training a smart idea. Then again these little girls didn't have a vampire to deal with, they got me.

 _"What a bitch."_

 _"You'd think she was in charge the way she acts."_

 _"I don't know why Buffy hasn't told her to go-."_

 _"Hey! I can drop my 2pennies in with you on her but I personally want to stay alive so can you three focus?"_

 _"Now who's bossy?"_

Well, Dad always told me I'd never hear anything nice about myself if I kept eavesdropping. For once he was right and even though I wanted to laugh I had to hold it in.

 _'Ooh, right under my tree. Perfect.'_

I dropped down in the middle of them and scared the skinny red head and Dawn into a scream. Then I laughed.

Kennedy brought her stake to my chest looking pissed off though it quickly changed to confusion when I didn't move.

"Loose something?" I asked still holding her hand. She frowned pulling back only I decided to throw her in to Dawn's kick. Behind me I could feel Amanda hesitate though red jumped in with another staking motion.

I swear these girls were so obvious!

I turned with a round house and red was out while Amanda tried a left jab combo. Now, _she_ had been paying attention to my lessons.

"Next time add a kick to the knee." I told the girl lying at my feet. I had that feeling again, the same one where I saw it happen just before it did. I turned stepping back and reached up with my hand.

"You want this back?" I asked Kennedy.

"How-?" she barely hesitated before she pushed her questions aside and attacked. I moved out of her punch and raised my leg out of her kick slapping her with my free hand. I knew this would piss her off which would get her to make a mistake, something she still had trouble controlling.

"Come on, I'm right here." I said as Dawn came up with her. I blocked both side kicks pushing them back, the girls stumbled and Dawn fell on her skinny butt. I was surprised she didn't just give up instead she tried to sweep my feet out while Kennedy was busy throwing punch combos.

"Ok girls, time to finish up." With that I grabbed Kennedy and pulled her close. Using her own stake I turned her smacking her chest with the thick end of it before throwing her aside.

Dawn's round house needed a lot of work. She wasn't even looking where it was going to land giving me a perfect opening to grab her as well.

"What would your sister think?" I tisked dropping the stake beside her head. Amanda stood unsure of what to do.

"Now what? What do you do?" I asked holding my hands out to the sides. "You're the only one standing, Amanda. What do you do?"

Kennedy sat up rubbing her shoulder and Dawn just grumbled to herself. I glanced behind Amanda but red was still out. Had I hit her too hard?

"I – I…"

"I what? I's not gonna do shit for you kid. This is life or death. Two of your friends are dead and one's out cold. What the fuck do you do?"

Man o man she looked ready to cry. Why hadn't she been told this? Amanda stood clutching the fucking piece of wood like it was going to give her the answer she desperately wanted to hear.

"Gimme that!" I snatched the damn thing from her hands and still she wouldn't leave red. Well, loyalty was good but in this case it only made her dead.

"If I were a real vampire I'd already have your God damn neck!"

"Jesus! Do you have to be so harsh?" Dawn muttered already standing.

"You want to stay alive?" I replied seeing her holding a wooden stake. "What the hell did I tell you all about the wood? Where's the silver stakes I handed you guys?"

"Seems we forgot to bring them." Kennedy spoke up somewhere by my knee.

"Seems to me you're dead. Dead people stay that way." this was one of those verbal battles I didn't like. Teenagers thought they knew everything under the sun.

"Not in Sunnydale they don't." see what I mean?

"They do when I kill them." I threatened. "Go help your friend wake up." I jerked my thumb in reds direction knowing the skinny thing would have a huge bruise on her face by morning.

Shit, hadn't I told Buffy I wouldn't hurt them? No. I'd said I wouldn't use My weapons on them. It was a blurry line I was walking…

"She's out cold." Kennedy said.

"What are you waiting for?" At their looks I had to get forceful. "Hump her back to the others." Neither of them liked that they were about to carry some one on their shoulders through a dark cemetery with who knows what lurking in the shadows.

"Now."

"Look what I found, B?" Faith pushed a shrub aside and let the dark figure go first.

"Spike." Buffy's tone wasn't happy and he knew it.

"Hey, ducks. I was out for a stroll-."

"What are you doing out here, Spike?"

"Well I was just-. Hey, wots that?" he pointed behind Buffy who turned. Her mood went from bad to worse at the sight of them.

"What happened?" she ground out. Dawn glanced over her shoulder to the brunette behind them but said nothing. That, if anything spoke volumes.

"What did you do?" Buffy accused Phade.

"Hey, she walked into it. Grumpert there, dead by stake. Key-that-was also dead by stake. That one there froze but she has been paying attention which is more than I can say for your sister. Her roundhouse needs work. She doesn't spot her targets, that's gonna get her killed."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest feeling frustrated and angry. How could these girls not get it?

"What don't you get? What is it that needs to happen for you to understand that this is not a joke!" she asked the Potentials.

I sat back on a head stone and watched Buffy give them a dressing down. I began to notice how much this really bothered her. Here I'd been thinking she was just using the girls as little soldiers then again I would too if the situation was the same. You use what have and make the best of things until you can make it better.

The girls looked shamed faced except for Kennedy who kept glaring at me. I smiled giving her a little wave and watched her face flush. I admit it was juvenile but this was my only source of amusement. Besides, they were fucking annoying!

 _'God I hope I was never this bad.'_

After the 'speech' Buffy let the blond infection do the surprising. Which was ok with me, it gave me a chance to observe him.

Interesting, very interesting.


	4. Four

"So, who's this Caleb I keep hearing about? Cuz all you've told me so far is we have Uber Vamps with extremely hard sternums which makes it that much harder to stake them and the Bringers who like chasing down little Potentials and poking them full of holes." I said plopping down in a dining room chair. Willow glanced at me wearing a small frown as she looked to the hallway. "Front door was open."

"Oh." She replied then exhaling heavily she sat up placed both hands on the table and looked at me. "The Bringers belong to Caleb. He sends them after the Potentials-."

"Hey, I have a question." Xander cut in. His excited expression and animated fidgeting grabbed everyone's attention. "If she's a Potential then how come she's just as strong as Buff-."

"What?" I glanced at Faith then Willow in wide eyed astonishment. They couldn't be talking about me. "Who's a Potential?"

"You are." Xander replied in a huff. He was obviously upset at being interrupted halfway through his question.

"I am Not!" I retorted standing up so fast my chair toppled over. "Who the hell came up with that brilliant-?" all eyes turned to the end of the table and one red head was hunched down in her seat with a look of embarrassment on her face.

"Again!" I exclaimed though it was more of a question. "What? What did I ever do to you?"

"Chill out Phade." Faith waved a hand in my direction pretty much saying I should sit my ass down. "Red's got a good explanation." Her brown eyes turned to the red head who smiled a bit crookedly.

"Fine." I replied without any grace. I picked up the chair and plopped it down with unnecessary force then sat down glaring at Willow.

"Uhm," she cleared her throat and after a deep breath regained her composure. "I'm assuming you're a Potential because of the spell I did to find Amanda. You said yourself that a glowy ball-."

"Knocked me off my feet and sent me flying half way across the Hyperion's lobby then bounced me on the floor before finally going away?" I asked quietly. The others didn't miss the sarcasm or the underlying anger I still felt.

"Uh- yep." Willow smiled crookedly. She'd already apologized so it wasn't very nice of me to keep bringing it up but I don't let go of my anger that easily. I'm trying though.

"So then if you're not a Potential…" Xander re-iterated his question looking expectantly around the table.

"You're a nosy bunch aint ya?" I asked with a scowl. I glared at my hands which I held on the table. This was personal- my personal life they were asking about. Still, if they thought I was under the Powers That Be they were so wrong and shouldn't I tell them? "I'm not a Potential. I'll never be a Slayer."

"But the spell…" Willow began. I glanced up seeing the confusion I'd caused and sighed. Why do people have to be so nosy?

"You know, communication works both ways and whatever happened with Buffy and Angel shouldn't get in the way of this ongoing war both sides are fighting." Xander scowled opening his mouth for one of his snappy comments on 'deadboy' as he referred to Angel. I held up a hand to stall him and continued. "I don't care. You coming to help us was a good thing because I don't think- well the Powers That Be wouldn't be happy."

"Yeah, well the Powers That Be aren't helping us out much." Faith muttered darkly.

"You really expect them to?" I asked. I looked to Xander who obviously hoped they would but wasn't so sure anymore. Then to Willow who looked thoughtful, maybe she knew more than we did, still she wasn't saying anything. "Look, Angel's a big player in this coming apocalypse so he needs to be here. Buffy's also a champion for the Powers That Be, she's the Slayer." I turned to Faith who was looking a bit uncomfortable. "So are you." I waited for her to look at me and once she did I continued. "You're a champion for the Powers That Be. You're a Slayer as well with all the responsibilities that go along with the position. Whatever happened- it's not important unless you make it important or let someone else make it so. You've grown up kiddo," I winked so my next words wouldn't sound harsh. "You just need a little more book learning to keep up with these egg heads."

Faith laughed at that and glanced around the table. I did as well noticing the scowl on Xander's face and the serious look on Willow's. Oh well, so much for the pep talk. Maybe I should've left it for a private moment…?

"Look, I don't work for the Powers That Be. Lorne says I'm here to help so here I am."

"So what are you?" Buffy asked from the hall way. I turned to her with a smile.

"I'm a completely different animal."

I watched from the hallway as Xander gave the girls pointers on how to kill the night beasties. He was doing pretty well; he actually knew what he was talking about and the girls were paying attention for once.

"Chest and throat if it's a vampire. Stomach, chest and face if it's a Bringer."

"What if it's something else?" Rona asked and she looked absolutely freaked out. Most of these girls weren't ready for what Buffy wanted, for what she was asking them to do. I was wondering if she knew what she was doing. Maybe Rupert had a point in asking her to wait, gather more information on Caleb before they attacked.

"You people are even crazier than her." Rona exclaimed. I frowned tuning into the conversation again. I was noticing this Potential liked to complain a lot.

"Than who?" leave it to Xander to ask the obvious.

"Buffy, man. I mean, taking us right into the bad guy's lair."

Well, she had point there.

"Well, that's where, generally speaking, you'd go to find the bad guy. And I don't think you came here to fight plaque."

"No, I came here for protection."

I could see most of these girls agreed with her. Well, that's not good because all that does is lead to trouble.

"Well, you signed on to fight with –."

"Look, I know, but... this plan is trouble. OK, Buffy doesn't care how many of us she puts in danger - ."

"Let me tell you something about Buffy. In fact, you should all listen to this."

"Uh, we kinda were." Kennedy replied in a tone I didn't like. Come to think of it I didn't really like _her_. She's the type of girl who can't be wrong and if she is denies it until you give up and so she wins! I was scowling at her when I realized Xander was sticking up for Buffy. I finally heard what he was saying as both Buffy and Faith came in a listened as well.

"I've been through more battles with Buffy than you all can ever imagine. She's stopped everything that's ever come up against her. She's laid down her life - literally - to protect the people around her. This girl has died two times, and she's still standing. You're scared? That's smart. You got questions? You should. But you doubt her motives, you think Buffy's all about the kill, then you take the little bus to battle. I've seen her heart, and this time - not literally. And I'm telling you, right now, she cares more about your lives than you will ever know. You gotta trust her. She's earned it."

"What a tear jerker." I muttered but there was no denying he had true love for the Slayer. It takes years and a lot of trust to earn that kind of loyalty.

"Damn. I never knew you were that cool." Faith quipped glancing down at the shorter Slayer.

"Well, you always were a little slow." Buffy replied with a shrug. She looked ready to cry herself. I couldn't help my laugh. They really are too cute with that dry sarcasm; I wonder why they can't ever get a long for more than a couple of hours at a time.

"Are you planning on waging a war?" Buffy asked looking my clothes over. I glanced at myself as well with a small frown. There was nothing wrong with my clothes.

"Liking the leather." Faith grinned looking me over lecherously. "Nice knives." I rolled my eyes shaking my head at the common misconception.

"What is it with you all?" I grouched. I pulled the Sai from the sleeve at my thigh and flipped it expertly to show them the three pronged blade. "This is _not_ just a knife, this is called a Sai- didn't anyone teach you about weapons?" I asked easily returning the Sai to my side.

"Sure." The girl was full of jokes and ready to tease when she wasn't fighting. Actually, Faith didn't do the snarky comments as much as Buffy did when they were fighting. Faith just went in swinging and fuck the rest. I kinda like that about the girl, get the job done then poke fun at the bastards.

"It's my hunting gear." I replied crossing my arms again. I looked at the others who were staring instead of arming themselves. "Bare hands aren't going to keep you alive, children." Their eyes quickly returned to the arsenal and began choosing what they would take. I was beginning to feel just a little hot in the leather gear. It was cooler here than in LA so I wore the jacket instead of the vest. Still, the length reached to my waist while the pants hung low on my hips. The weight of the belt only pulled them lower leaving about a hand span of skin exposed. I love my gear but at moments like these I feel just a bit self conscious. I mean I'm not as young as these girls are but I'm not an old hag either and I work out. Well, that's if hunting demons and fighting one beast or another is working out because I do that, a lot.

Kennedy's features hardened at my use of the word 'children'. As one of the oldest and first girls at the Summer house she felt she was due some sort of respect, behaved as if she were just under Buffy and now Faith for command. It wasn't that the girl couldn't handle herself when needed because she was good but she was so eager to be in control Kennedy didn't see the dangers coming at her. She was going to get someone killed, if she didn't die first.

So the plan was to follow Buffy and the others to the vineyard.

"I have a better idea." I whispered to Faith and slowly blended into the shadows of the forest around us. It wasn't a real forest, not like the ones you normally think of and Faith just wondered what the hell I was doing. If I listened carefully I could pick up on their voices, each one sounding fainter the more I moved off into the foliage. There were soft steps and the rustling of leaves as Bringers moved through the forest.

I followed the sounds tracking them until I accidentally ran into a group of four.

"Heh-aa…" I smiled barely laughing as I took a step away from the now redirected Bringers. I mean seriously, do they have fucking sonar or something? How do they know where to shove that pointy knife?

"Hi." I straightened setting both hands on my thighs, fingers curling ever so gently around the hilts. The first Bringer made a swipe at my head with his dagger but I moved back and stupidly hit the tree. Two others decided that was the perfect time to attack and they weren't half wrong because my back was effectively pinned to that damn tree.

Still, I learned to be sneaky, kinda had to what with the others being so much more knowledgeable and _older_. God, Angel never got tired of bringing that up whenever we had our training sessions.

I slid down and both Sai slipped out silently. The blades made no sound as they cut through the robes at knee level; neither did the Bringers as they recoiled from the wounds on their legs. I rose kicking one of blades out of their hand and moved into a small clearing. Another Bringer materialized from the trees so I had three to play with.

"What are the odds?" I muttered blowing a strand of hair out of my face that had fallen out of my braid. Seriously, I was thinking of chopping it all off what with the trouble it cause me most of the time. The buzzing in my ear startled me and I jumped barely avoiding the next Bringer and his knife. I blocked, parried and kicked him back before reaching up to my ear.

 _"Where are you?"_ Xander's exasperated voice came through my head piece clearly. I still couldn't get over how good these mini ear cell phones were.

"Kinda busy, why?" I replied with a grunt. This blind monk or whatever they called them selves were harder to get rid of than I'd first thought.

 _"You're not where you're supposed to be!"_ he hissed. I could tell he was trying to keep it quiet but I heard the girls, they just could _not_ shut up! I mean, it's not like their _lives_ depend on it.

"Right, well, you see-." I ducked getting a good shot at the Bringers middle and jabbed my Sai in twisting as I pulled it out. I stood turning to face the next one and motioned it to come closer. "I ran into some friends of yours." Of course the Bringer couldn't see me taunting it and yet he was charging at me.

The blade came too close and I frowned flipping both Sai so they pointed out. I slashed right then left and while the Bringer was staying away from the blades I threw a side kick that knocked him over.

 _"Phade! You're supposed to be-."_

"I'm busy so I'll meet you there. Later." The line clicked and I concentrated on the Bringer.

Xander glared at the cell phone before snapping it closed. He'd heard the sounds of clashing metal and the soft thuds of flesh hitting flesh. There was no doubt as to what she was doing.

"What?" Faith asked as she stepped next to Buffy who seeing his look already knew. Her own frown was replaced by a glare. Buffy turned to the building ahead.

"We go in. Just like we planned." She said.

Faith glanced at the girls who had different looks of fear on their faces. They clutched their weapons to their chests as if that would keep them alive.

 _'Man o man, this so doesn't feel like a good idea. They're just kids.'_ Faith thought following Buffy and Xander. But she had been no older than most of them when she had been called. Her life hadn't been 'pleasant' before she became 'The Slayer' but then the pressures that came with that title turned out to be more than hard to carry, not least the fact that she might not live to be 18 let alone 16?

 _'Just the life I always pictured for myself.'_

"OK. Set up a perimeter." Buffy said. She glanced at each one in turn as she gave out orders. "Guard the door. I don't want anything getting in behind us. My team goes in first, we check the place out. You guys are our safety-net. If this place is a trap, we give the signal; you guys come in, guns a-blazing."

"So, what's the signal?" Xander asked leaning very close. His expression was fiercely intent, as if he were afraid he'd miss something.

"I'm thinking lots and lots of yelling." Buffy replied straight faced. She wasn't trying to be funny but at times like these, well it couldn't hurt.

"Got it."

Faith turned at the sound of rustling but she couldn't be sure it wasn't one of the girls. Then, out of the trees before them dropped down a shadowy figure.

Buffy was already swinging before Faith could tell her who it was.

I blocked her jab and lifted my leg out of her kick pushing her away.

"Ok, I get it." I said. Buffy stopped her eyes narrowing dangerously. I could see why the vampires wouldn't want to piss her off. "Next time I'll give a little warning." Then in a low whisper only her and Faith could hear I told her she was leading with her shoulder just a bit. Those green eyes glittered again hardening like agates. There was a fire burning in her, like this- this- God there's no words to explain how she looks.

Trying to compare Buffy and the snooty higher being that was… What the hell was Angel thinking? He traded down with the other one.

I wonder why they really gave up. Angel and Buffy. She didn't seem the type to let the Romeo and Julietan tale of star crossed lovers put her off. Not if she really wanted him. Then again I was finding out all kinds of icky stuff just being here. Like the fact that little blondie had been- eew- doi- God I cant even _say_ what it was they were doing together! Eew.

Ugh! And the blond infection is right here too.

"So." I looked around at all the faces just to get those thoughts out of my head.

They were too young… "You all waiting for a second invite?"

Buffy led us into the cellar being very careful and quiet. Her head kept turning looking from one side to the other in constant search for danger. I could've told her the danger was all around but it wouldn't have done any good. The smell inside was a bit stale, it was uncomfortable to breathe and I kept remembering the summer storm's in Mexico. They hit hard and last about five minutes and after they're done they leave everything clean, awash in brilliant colors when the sun comes out again and the earth? The earth smells wet. It's that heavy wet smell that makes it difficult to breathe outside only right now it was in this cellar.

"What is this place?" Molly asked holding up her mace. She was looking around obviously frightened. It was annoying to watch them all behaving like such-. What? They are children.

"Looks like an old vineyard." Buffy replied in a low voice she managed to imbue with confidence. Then again I was sure she was confident, she wasn't going to die here, not the Slayer.

"An evil vineyard, huh?" I wondered if Kennedy ever shut up. Her voice was grating on my nerves the more I had to hear her bitch about shit.

"Like Falcon Crest." Spike commented. What the hell is Falcon Crest? I'd probably go and Google that later. That's if I remembered.

"Stay alert, you guys. Bringers are here somewhere. Just need to find out where." Ever vigilant Buffy was calling everyone back to their tasks. Right now that meant we were supposed to be watching our surroundings and looking for whatever Caleb had of hers.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Spike commented dryly. He was swaggering along when the Bringers came out of the shadows. They stepped from behind the barrels of wine and came right at us.

"You had to open your mouth." I retorted moving to the front. I kept my eyes on the girls watching them in case one might need help while I gutted my own attacking Bringers. I had a bloody pile, ok so there were four Bringers at my feet when the rest just stopped. Weird, I know. They just stopped fighting and moved back into the shadows blending in so well they were invisible.

I could still find them if I wanted but I didn't think this was the time to freak them out or give away my secrets.

He came into the light.

He was tall, dark brown hair a little long and straight, kinda had the bowl hair cut going. I noticed his clothes, the black shirt and trousers with the white preachers neck tie but it was the look in his eyes that caught me.

The high forehead tapered down to a straight nose set above thin medium sized lips, they were almost too thin but some how fit his face just right. He had thin eyebrows, straight with barely an arch to give them shape and soulful brown eyes.

"Well, now, you girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think you're blazing like suns, when really you're burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness." The moment he started speaking I could hear it in his voice. There was a sad note to the righteous tone. He actually believed everything he said and that made him dangerous. "You having fun? Now, I hope my boys haven't worn you out too much - I need you fit for when I purify you."

His voice drew me in, the cadence of it was lulling, it comforted me. There was the southern drawl to it and the husky intimate sound as if he'd just woken up or he was whispering in your ear. Here was the other side of danger and I was letting it befuddle me. The worst part is… I didn't mind it.

I could stand there and listen to him speak, give a sermon and I'm not even into church but his voice… it drew me in.

"Save the sermon, padre. I heard you have something of mine." Maybe Buffy didn't notice maybe she did but the next words spoken by him took her by surprise.

"Well, I do now." He chuckled. We were the something of Buffy's he had only Buffy had walked us in here like a gift wrapped present. "You liked my little message, did you? You know, I ruined a perfectly good knife on that girl. Got her soiled blood all over the place. I may have to get a new truck." He just spoke so… it was like he was talking about buying more napkins or something of equal insignificant value. "So, you're the Slayer. The Slayer. The strongest, the fastest, the most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind - the notion of goodness. The Slayer must indeed be powerful." He moved closer striking suddenly and we watched as Buffy sailed across the room to land in a heap. "So, what else you got?" he looked at us, his face so smug and our leader? She was out cold.


	5. Five

I stood there and watched. Hands hanging limply at my sides and watched as Spike vamped out and lunged at Caleb. He brushed him aside barely sparing the blond infection a glance as he continued towards us.

Me.

I blinked feeling the fuzziness barely shift and still I didn't move even when the vampire landed on the storage tank. It broke and wine flowed over the cellar floor. It was a wave of red, like a small ocean and a vague line of scripture came to mind. Something about a red sea and then Caleb stood before me.

"Let's go!" it was Kennedy. She took over, leading the charge into battle instead of pulling back. I barely noticed the Bringers as they materialized and clashed with the Potentials. The sounds of battle faded to a dull echo, unimportant for the moment as I looked up.

Neither of us spoke, there was no need for words. We could see each other. There, in his eyes… he wanted more; he wanted to be a God, to bathe in the light…

Something inside me woke. I was drawn to him, yes but it wasn't _him_ in the physical sense. I could barely make sense of this myself but I knew- there was something here that had to do with the Od VaiLumin.

Caleb inclined his head barely noticeable but attuned as I was to his every movement I saw it and returned the acknowledgement.

He moved off.

The sounds of fighting rushed in, a raucous cacophony of sounds undistinguishable from each other.

Kennedy got smacked into a barrel of wine and Rona went to her aid. All I saw was her swinging the mace at Caleb before I had to defend against another Bringer. He seemed to have an endless supply of these robed freaks. And everywhere, through all the shouts and screams I could hear him. His voice…

"Miss, I do believe you have your own problems you should be worrying about." Even though I know he's evil and he's probably about to kill one of the Potentials I couldn't help being drawn in by his voice.

"Oh, good. There's more of you." He sounded so pleasant and the whole time I just knew he was probably gutting one of the girls…

With a rush of anger I threw off the Bringer and slashing across sent his head flying into the melee.

"Faith." So the cavalry arrived just in time to add to the massacre. I turned to the closest Potential and grabbed her arm yanking her out of harms way. I turned with a round house and snapped the Bringers neck then faced the girl again. She was trembling, eyes unfocused as she stared at the ground.

"Listen!" I shook her until she glance up at me. "Get a grip or you _will_ die." That seemed to bring some life to her otherwise dead eyes. "Start pulling back. Help who ever you can find and get the fuck out. Now!" she moved jerkily at first and then realizing that we were leaving she fought in earnest helping another fallen girl to her feet.

I turned to find another Bringer, knife glinting in the dull light as it came down to another Potential. Before I realized it my Sai flipped through the cellar slicing though the Bringers arm. The knife fell along with the bottom portion of his arm on the Potential who shrieked in horror at the stump on her chest. She slapped it off scrambling to her feet just as I slid the end of the Sai into the Bringers back. He made no sound as I shoved him away and retrieved the other Sai.

"Get out." I ordered and the girl jumped to obey.

"Good folk, bad folk," Caleb's voice drew me and I turned as he grabbed Chao-Ahn. "Clean folk, dirty folk..." the sound of her neck snapping ricocheted inside my skull. I watched as her lifeless body dropped to the ground in a heap.

"No...!" some one screamed and when I looked up Caleb had Molly.

"What can I say?" he replied with a gentle smile. "I work in mysterious ways." His knife slid into her easily, like going through butter. "Also some fairly straightforward ones."

Again I watched as another girl fell to the ground and I just stood there. I wasn't doing anything.

 _"Move, Phade! Move your ass! Kill something!"_

"Kill…" yeah, that's what I was here for. To kill the Bringers, dust Ubervamps and help the girls. So why was I just standing here?

An enraged yell slipped past my throat and I yanked two Bringers from the re-treating girls. There were more coming and seeing the cross bow just lying there I grabbed it up and threw it at one of them.

"Take position up there!" I pointed at the top of the stairs. "You put a fucking arrow in as many as you can! And don't you fucking move until I say so!" the girl was too frightened to disobey and quickly took her position.

I moved into the thickest part of the fighting, turns out its where most of the Potentials trying to leave got held up by Bringers.

"Fresh meat, boys." I smiled taking a head and fist to my face. "Fuckin-!" that hurt but I didn't have time to wallow in it seeing as there were plenty of shiny sharp blades coming my way. I'm not exactly sure how I got out of there but I was bleeding by the time those Bringers were dead. Bleeding, sore, my face stung from the cut. It was throbbing so I knew it was a nasty gash and it wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Let's go! Come on!" I turned frowning. Xander was helping Kennedy up then he handed her off to another girl as he looked back for any stragglers.

Caleb grabbed him, spun him around so they were facing each other.

"No." I felt that horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "No, no, no."

"You're the one who sees everything, aren't you?" his hand moved back just in front of Xander's face as I raised my arm. "Well, let's see what we can do about that." His thumb plunged into Xander's left eye as the Sai left my hand.

Xander's pained scream echoed through me as I ran towards Caleb. Another blurry figure got him before I could and Xander was free.

"Xander! Come on." Buffy urged as we hauled him up and towards the stairs. Spike was right on our heels. I glanced back and saw Caleb sitting up watching as we rushed up the stairs. He didn't follow us then he stood and smiled while we left.

I watched them, all the girls we took to the Vineyard. The ones who weren't hurt helped those who were. Some still couldn't believe what happened. Three Potentials died and they all knew it could easily have been them.

I walked around, looking in on each girl. I watched Buffy do her round, checking each one, quietly accepting responsibility for this disaster. The worst injury was the gut stab and broken arm, I wasn't counting Xander among the girls, his injuries were beyond them, beyond what I could understand because he was part of _her_ family.

Everyone else had bruises, sprains, minor cuts and scrapes. That's what we _could_ see, inside? In their minds these girls were already picturing themselves gutted, necks broken, stabbed or eaten. Either way they had their coffins picked out and were six feet under.

They either glowered or ignored Buffy. I'd hate to be in her shoes just then. She'd made a mistake, rushed in thinking she had one over on the bad guys… I hoped Rupert and the others wouldn't start on the 'I told you' parade. Not that I couldn't blame them but how was that helpful?

I followed her into the hallway. The hospital staff hadn't asked many questions as to why we had so many girls hurt or in one large group. I guess living on a HellMouth has it advantages in times like these but what a bitch…

"Summers." She stopped in the middle of the hall. Her back stiffened and the droop of her shoulders disappeared instantly before she turned around.

I had to side step an orderly and avoid another as I caught up. It annoyed me so when I finally faced Buffy there was a guarded expression in her eyes. She was probably thinking the same thing I had been thinking about laying the blame and pointing fingers.

"Where are you headed?" I asked in a softer voice and replaced the annoyed frown with what I hoped was an amiable one.

"Xander…" was all she said and the tears gathering in her eyes made them luminous. She motioned vaguely down the hall. I nodded and moved towards the general direction. She turned hesitantly and we walked slowly.

I felt just a little out of place and received a couple of curious looks from orderlies and nurses alike. I ignored them wishing I'd kept my jacket instead of leaving it in the Shelby with my hunting gear. Tank top and leather pants, not hospital attire.

"I know what you're thinking." She said still not looking at me. I sighed and shook my head.

"Nope, you really don't." I glanced at her seeing the guilt clinging to her. "But I can venture a guess at your thoughts."

Her green eyes sparkled dangerously. I offered her a small smile motioning to her head. "I'm not peeking. I don't have to. You're not so hard to read, Buffy." I didn't tell her all anyone had to do was pay attention and all I'd been doing since I got here was watch them. "You feel responsible. You led those girls into a well laid trap against your Watcher's protests and theirs." Her face hardened, jaw clenched in anger but I was only telling her the truth. She knew it. "You're not the only leader to fall for it and you won't be the last."

I smile seeing her surprised look. She hadn't seen that coming. I noticed the small sign for the chapel and pulled her in. Now I was surprised and unsure of how to proceed. I mean all I wanted was to give her a bit of an uplifting morale booster sort of pep talk.

It was quiet in here with the scent of candle wax. After a moments hesitation Buffy walked to one of the pews and sat down. The droop returned to her shoulders and she sighed audibly. I didn't know how to go about telling her she shouldn't blame herself so much for mistakes past and future ones because after all she's only human. She's an extraordinary human but human none the less.

"I wasn't much good to them." She said. "He knocked me down. One punch and I'm out." her palm slapped her thigh with a loud clap in the quiet chapel.

"Yeah well…" I sighed heading to the pew. She made room for me as I sat next to her. "I wasn't much good either."

She threw a curious glance my way and after a moment I finally admitted my own weakness.

"From the moment he stepped out of the shadows I couldn't take my eyes off him. Even now, if I close my eyes, I can still recall every detail of him right down to the small wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. His voice lulled me; I barely noticed the sounds of battle or the girls as they screamed. He just-." I shook my head leaning back into the pew and stretched out my legs until they touched the pew in front of us. How could I explain the familiarity I'd felt when I wasn't sure what-.

"You got hot over the evil preacher?" I jerked towards her seeing the slightly amused frown and sat up so fast I banged my knee, hard.

"What?" I rubbed at my knee scowling at Buffy. This was her fault. "No, I mean- well No. Absolutely NOT." I said with an unyielding tone. "I'm married for Christ's sake!" her eyes widened at the admission and I could've fucking slapped myself! What the hell's wrong with me?

"You're…?" she hesitated looking incredulous and confused all at the same time. I wasn't sure how to feel about her reaction, I mean, is it that hard to believe a man would want to marry me?

"You have a family?" I was quiet for a moment trying to figure out what and why she was asking me this.

"Yes." I replied warily. "Big one actually." She was listening attentively so I didn't think she was gonna poke fun at me. "Typical Mexican family. Six brothers, two sisters, Dad, husband." Then in a quieter voice it was almost a whisper; "My son."

We were both quiet each of us smiling though quite differently.

"You're lucky." She said softly. I glanced at her hearing the sad tone.

"Why?" she looked sort of wistful and it was obvious she had no idea what a pain it was to have that many older brothers or sisters for that matter. We only had the one bathroom for the longest time.

"I always wanted-." She stopped halfway and I wondered if she were thinking of the Key. The one parading around as her little sister when she knew good and well it was just a copy made from her DNA. In a way that's the closest thing she's had for a family.

"You're young, you could have your ow-."

"No." it was a flat unbending 'No' and I could see her gathering her armor, putting up her walls and shielding herself again. "I'm the Slayer. I don't get the normal life-."

I laughed, really laughed and again Buffy glared her green eyes hard as agates. The girl really has the stare down pat any vampire would be stupid not to heed the warning.

"That's your excuse?" I shifted on the bench so I sat facing her one arm resting on the back of our pew. "You're scared Buffy. You're afraid you'll get your heart broken or loose another loved one so you pull away from friends, family, lovers…" I could see that last one hit a nerve. Was she thinking of Angel?

"I don't-."

"You do." I cut her off before she got going. "You're missing out on the so called 'normal' life because it's not the normal everyone else has." She was listening though I wasn't sure she believed what I was trying to tell her. "Buffy, who's to say this isn't normal? Who says everyone else out there has normal lives?"

"It's complicated." She looked away and I swear I wanted to strangle her!

"That's life!" I exclaimed in exasperation. "So you're the Slayer. You've died twice and hey! You're still here. You really care how when you can see those girls need you? What about Willow and Xander or Rupert?"

"Xander got hurt because of me. He lost his eye-." She looked guilty as if she'd been the one to gouge out his eye. I doubted she'd ever stop beating herself up over it.

"And it was going to happen sooner or later. It just happens this was it; this was his time to pay the price for helping out the Powers That Be." I was full of righteous anger now. "Anybody says it's your fault should look to Kennedy. It was her Xander was helping when Caleb decided to play squish the eye ball."

"I thought you weren't pointing fingers." Buffy commented sitting back in the pew as comfortable as the hard wood would let her.

"I'm not because every time you point one there's three more pointing right back at you." I sighed trying to calm down and pulled on my braid undoing the end until my hair flowed loosely. "All I'm saying is, you don't have to cut yourself off from everyone. You _know_ some of those girls are going to die. _You can't save them._ They were chosen."

She was quiet for a moment contemplating what I'd said and somehow I didn't think this was good.

"Willow and Xander?" she asked and it didn't exactly feel like a good thing. "They weren't chosen."

See what I mean? Here I am thinking the girl is getting the point I'm trying to make and she just- God pero si será terca la mula!

"You think the Powers That Be don't plan on shit like this? Come on!" I asked more than a little out of patience with her. "Just you _being_ in Sunnydale-." I shook my head incredulously as I tried to explain the way the higher beings thought. Not that I'm some fucking authority on how they think. "The Powers That Be _like_ to fuck with everyone's lives. So what if they're not Potentials. Willow and Xander still have their parts to play and sure they stick around for you but you really think they wouldn't make the same choice if you'd never come to the HellMouth?" the chapel echoed back my words but it was true. Everything I'd said. Both her friends were champions for the Powers That Be they just didn't have the title or the recognition that went with it. "It's _in_ them."

Maybe she wasn't ready to hear this, to try and accept that the Powers That Be were pulling their strings asking for sacrifices no one was ready to make and getting thrown in anyway. I knew I was right about them though. Both Xander and Willow stuck to Buffy not just out of loyalty but because they knew it was the right thing to do. They knew that Buffy was the first defense against any evil coming into the world so where else were they going to go if they wanted to stay alive?

"Are you always…" Buffy trailed off trying to come up with a word to describe me so I decided to lend a comedic hand.

"So persuasive?"

What can I say? I'm not much of a comedian.

"I was gonna go with domineering, overbearing a bit tyrannical but persuasive…" she shrugged. I couldn't help the laugh. Here was a lighter side to the woman who always seemed to be so rigid.

"Yeah, I'm all of those and a bitch." I admitted though I didn't hear her denying it. "God what a lousy week!" I grumbled leaning back into the pew. "You don't even have a decent mall." I gripped.

"It's brand new! Just rebuilt-." Buffy bit off the last of her comment but I could smell the story.

"Go on, finish." Because this was going to be interesting.

"I kinda blew it up." She looked away a slight blush staining her face.

"Oh-ho!" my laugh echoed in the chapel and I lowered my voice feeling like I was at a real church and blurting out 'Oh I get it!' like I did when I was trying to figure out a joke the pastor had told during his sermon. See? Not much with the jokes and everyone in that church knows it.

"You blew it up? Now there's a good story. Spill." I commanded with a huge grin.

"No, not really. I mean I was trying to get rid of Angelus." She tried to play it off but the uncomfortable silence was there.

"How many times did your guy go evil genius?"

"You mean counting this last time?" she asked sardonically. Well, now it was my turn to be silently uncomfortable. On second thought, "Willow brought him back before he could do any damage. He actually helped us out while being all evil."

The plan was to talk him up, stir some of those old feeling, fan the embers and all that load of- you get it.

"You should've seen Angelus. He was all piffy- he really thinks a lot of himself." I hadn't thought about that or the stupid way in which he kicked my ass. That's what I thought because I'd been stupid and let him get the upper hand then had to run away in order not to get eaten. Then Angel would be all gloomy and broody because he would've been thinking he ate me… wow that's a lot of 'what if' type of thinking.

"You know," maybe talking about Angel is a better way of getting Buffy to remember all the good things. "You never really get over your first love and Angel-."

"Who does he look like?"

Ok what? Shouldn't she know what Angel looks like?

"Who?"

"Your son. What's his name?"

Oh, she's trying to change the subject. Well, I must've been pretty obvious myself for her to try this. Fine, there's time to talk him up again later.

"Sebastián." I smile then frowned at her. "And no, not like the little mermaid." She chuckled at that making the 'aww' face but it wasn't the reason why I chose his name. I just liked it, liked the way it sounded and it was easy for my beaners to pronounce and simple enough for the Anglos not to chop it all up when they tried saying it.

"I can see his father in him. Not always but sometimes… it's in a look or the way he moves-." I guess she noticed the underlying anger or maybe it was the scowl on my face.

"I guess marriage isn't all that wonderful." I knew her parents were divorced and she hadn't grown up with the example I'd had with my parents. They'd been married fifty nine years before my Mom-. Well, they were very happy and so was I.

"No- I mean it is. I am happy, Buffy. I'm just not married to Bastián's father." She made the 'Oh' face and I knew the questions wouldn't be far behind. Why was I telling her so much about my life? This was more than I'd shared with Ryan during all those months with the Hell's Angel's. He was my husband and still I hadn't told him half of this stuff. He knew my Mom was dead but I hadn't told him. Somehow he'd managed to have that conversation with my Dad, broken English and all with no doubt some help from Bastián.

 _'You told Dean.'_

God damn don't you ever shut up? If that little voice ever gets corporeal I'm going to kill it.

"So what's he like?"

I got the impression she just wanted to hear what it was like to have the 'normal' life. You know, the husband, child a family. So I did. I told her about Ryan and how we met playing up the funny parts though they hadn't been funny at the time. Hey, I thought they were crazy evil scientist and it turns out they're just crazy scientist. She seemed to think it was funny how he just 'manhandled' me.

"Hey, he practically threw me over his shoulder cave man style." Buffy laughed forgetting for the moment about all the bad waiting for us outside the chapel.

"Cordelia was a higher being?" she sounded incredulous and I couldn't agree more! I left out the whole Angel going nuts trying to find her or that he had a son. I mean that's not going to promote loving feelings towards Angel and that was my goal. So sue me! I like the happy ending to a tragic romance and these two couldn't be more tragic if they tried.

"He lets you hunt? Just like that?" the question implied she'd had trouble in this area.

"I take it you've had problems with this?" she nodded imperceptively and I sighed thinking of a way to work Angel into the answer. "They just weren't the right one." because they weren't Angel. "It takes a certain- special type of man or vampire with a soul, hint-hint." So what! I'm being honest here and glaringly obvious which she noticed. "To be ok with what we do. Ryan's seen a lot. He's been living this life for a few years now and he seems to thrive on it. He's seen some of what I can do and after our first… 'argument' he just sort of-."

"Caved?" she had that innocent look which had I not seen her using it before I would've believed to be genuine.

"Ha-ha." I replied dryly then I looked her over with more interest. "You know at first I thought you were just another ditzy blond, not much up there." I waved to her brain watching the scowl return to her delicate features. I was pissing her off again but if she waited until I was done she'd see this wasn't something she needed to get mad about. "Maybe you'd just been lucky so far to last this long but after all this… you're not half bad."

"Oh well, coming from you-." She mocked still not sure if she was supposed to be mad or not.

"It's a huge compliment, I know." The grin on my face took the sting out of the sarcastic comment. "Kinda tired me out though."

Buffy smiled in return probably wondering what the hell was wrong with me.

"All seriousness, you're doing an excellent job." I said and I meant it. "Don't doubt yourself."

There was one more person I wanted to speak with before I headed back to the house and checked up on the other Potentials.

I peeked in the room being careful not to disturb him and seeing that he was still asleep slipped in his room. The door closed soundlessly behind me and my feet made no sound as I moved to the side of his bed. He looked so pale against the white sheets; his good eye had a dark circle beneath and his cheeks had already begun to grow a healthy dose of stubble. I felt bad for him, for what the Powers That Be took from him.

"An eye for an eye."

I wondered who's eye his was replacing or if this was the start of getting even. It didn't matter and there was nothing I could do for him either. I didn't know about healing I wasn't a nurse let alone a doctor and the runes I had on my body had brought more than enough trouble for me that I didn't want to make Xander's life any harder than it was going to be.

The only thing I had to fall back on was what my Mother taught me and so I pulled the only chair to the side of his bed and sat down. I took one of his hands in mine and let the beads I'd been clutching fall loosely on my lap so I could work my way around the length.

In a soft whisper I began and soon the soothing monotone of the words became familiar again.

"Santa Maria, madre de dios, ruega por nosotros…"


	6. SIx

The chirping phone woke me at the crack of… I poked my head out of the covers and glanced at the cell phone.

"8 am." I groaned hiding under the pillow.

"Too God damn early!" I grumbled flipping the cell open. "What." I grouched because there was no reason I needed to be up so soon after just falling asleep.

 _"Bad morning?"_ he quipped just a tad too cheerful. _"What's the matter baby? Those girls getting on you're bad side so soon?"_

Now when did he know-.

"What? How do-?"

 _"I stopped by the hotel with a little something for you and found out you went on vacation to the beach. Now, why didn't you invite your husband along? Is he such a bore-?"_ I could tell by the teasing tone that he wasn't too happy that I hadn't told him I was in Sunnydale but there hadn't been time and then the few times we had spoken there were other things to talk about.

"I'm sorry." I cleared my throat and finally sat up. "I didn't mean not to tell you it just didn't seem all that important."

Lame, God that was so lame!

 _"Yep, you keep saying that maybe I'll believe it. Listen, I got another kid here-."_

"Kid? Where are you?" I asked more confused than before. The only kid he should have with him is mine.

 _"On my way to Sunnydale."_

"What!" I jumped out of the bed tripping on the tangled sheet and landing on my knees. "Ow! Mother of fuc-."

 _"Hey, now watch you're language."_ He quipped sounding way too satisfied with himself.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" I growled.

"You remember a nice woman by name of Rosalía?" he asked and now he sounded serious. I found myself nodding like a dumb ass knowing he couldn't see it.

"Yeah, why?"

 _"Just so happens she gave us a call. Looks like it was a good thing you made Dom leave her the SAT phone. Anyway, she calls us up, says she's got word of some weird priests hacking away at the locals. So we head down to Sunny ol' Mexico-."_

"It's not Mexico if you only go to the border." I muttered once again having to correct their misconception of 'Old Mexico'.

 _"So we head down south."_ Ryan pointedly ignored me. " _Turns out she was right and I remembered what you told me about those monks witch girl warned you of. About the other Slayers-."_

"Potentials." I corrected.

 _"Those priests,"_ his voice was down right harsh now and I wondered if maybe I shouldn't just let him tell the story. _"Killed an entire family in a remote village about three hours from Rosy's place."_

"How'd she know about the massacre?" I asked heading into the bathroom. I set the cell phone on speaker and placed it on the counter as I got my things together.

 _"Some farmer dude ran across two kids, boy and a girl. They asked for help and the guy dropped them off at her door."_ Ryan replied then he covered the phone.

"Hey!" I picked up my cell frowning. "Ryan, why'd they go there? Hey!"

 _"Sorry baby but my passenger got restless."_ He explained though I still didn't get why he was covering the phone. I was about to ask who was with him when he spoke. _"Turns out the whole town knows to go to her house if anything weird's up. Now I got them, well_ her _actually. I'm pretty sure she belongs with the other ones you have there."_

I groaned feeling decidedly unwell. How could we have another one? And now of all the times to get a new recruit.

"How long?" I asked with a resigned sigh.

 _"Couple of hours. Two maybe."_ He was definitely relaxed. _"Phade, you're not staying with all those girls…"_ I couldn't help the smile because it was so typical of Ryan. If I had been staying at Buffy's then there would be no privacy which meant -.

"No, I have my very own suite in some old Motel across town." I looked out into the bedroom with a rueful smile. All we needed was the bed.

An hour later I was dressed, extra cute of course because, well just cuz. Then again all I had with me were jeans and comfy cargo pants besides my hunting attire but that- no. Finally, I settled on some faded jeans that fit just a bit loose and flared at the knee so they hid my Vans. Ryan poked fun at them but I didn't care, they were comfortable and I liked the crazy polka dots though I'd never admit it to him. Then again the colors made it easy to pair a white tank with the gray quarter sleeve knitted sweater that would keep me warm. After I let my hair dry I pulled the loose waves into a side ponytail put on some light make-up and made sure I was wearing my wedding rings.

I grimaced just remembering Ryan's reaction the first and only time I'd been caught without them. He's worse than a girl and I feel for those men out there who have to put up with their wives screeching wail, not that Ryan screeched because-well, no. They are pretty though, my rings. He has good taste and he picked the right cut and he used my birthstone instead of some diamond. That shows he's more original than I would've thought then again I hadn't wanted a diamond in the first place.

I had breakfast in a local diner before heading over to Potential training central. Seriously having breakfast at Buffy's was much more like scavenging for food with all those girls around. Add to that the unceasing noise and lack of privacy… God no. I prefer the din of a diner anytime.

Finally, I got in my Shelby and roared off. I seriously love this car, just hearing the purr of the engine puts a smile on my face.

When I got to the house I had to park across the street because the drive was full up. There was Buffy's Mom's jeep which I hadn't seen anyone drive and Xander's car which well; he wouldn't be driving for a while yet. Then Rupert had his junker parked in front but compared to what he'd been driving before it was a big improvement or so I'd been told. There was another big SUV parked behind it I assumed belonged to Wood but it was a school day. Why would he be here?

"Hello." I didn't even wait for someone to answer the perfunctory knock as I walked in. The usual sounds of the girls was more subdued today and maybe it was just that not all of them were here but then again maybe they were just worried.

"Phade, in the dining room." Rupert's stuffy voice echoed from my right and obediently I followed. I heard a chair scrape and the voices I'd heard when I first entered were all silent. I turned the blind corner and suddenly found myself at least a foot off the ground.

"Baby!" Ryan's voice registered and I halted mid strike. He had me in a bear hug then set me down with a short kiss that left me blushing in embarrassment. He knew better than this but he still didn't care that I preferred to keep the kissing to private quarters.

"Hi," I cleared my throat and surveyed the room noticing Rupert pointedly cleaning his glasses while Faith had this huge grin on her face. God there was going to be some teasing from that quarter. Sitting across from them and staring straight ahead was Jessica. One eyebrow rose in question as I looked up at Ryan. His face looked a bit pink and he glanced nervously at the table. Was this his restless passenger? Why would she be getting restless?

 _'You're jealous!'_

Am not! I swear I'll kill that fucking voice one day!

"Were have you been?" Faith asked.

"Huh- I was-." Confused, really confused then the kitchen door opened.

"Those little girls don't look so tough, Giles. They're too skinny." Dom's voice boomed into the dining room. "Hey Phade." He nodded sweeping past to an empty chair and plopping down. I hadn't noticed the glasses on the table until Dom raised his and took a long drink.

"Hi, uh why didn't you call me?" I turned to Ryan who draped his arm over my shoulders and held me at his side.

"I did. You never picked up." He pointed at my feet smirking but I ignored the silent joke. Instead I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my cell.

"No one called. I never-." To my disgust I found the cell phone off and quickly switched it on. "Shit, it died on me." I looked up apologetically as it switched off again. "I forgot to charge it last night- this morning- whenever." I shook my head more than just confused I was still sleepy.

"Rough night, ey?" Dom grinned lasciviously and I thought what a nice pair he and Faith would make. They both had dirty minds.

"Not how you're thinking." I retorted dryly. Ryan leaned down to my neck. "You will tonight." He whispered and I could feel my face burning. Faith chortled with laughter seeing the blush and I wanted to strangle her.

"Yes, well we seem to have trouble with this new girl." Rupert interjected recalling the group to the reason everyone was here.

"Is she hurt?" I wondered moving so I stood in front of Ryan and we were more comfortably in each others arms.

"No, no the problem is we can't communicate with her."

"No one here speaks any Spanish." Dom added. After another drink he continued. "It wasn't a big deal back at the hive with Mr. Vartan and little Bastían around. You're boy's a regular chatter box, asks lots of questions and won't leave this one alone too long." He nodded at Ryan who shifted. "The kids took to each other right off but Ryan figured Maya would be better off here. Took you're Dad a while to get the kids to agree."

"So, she's here and her brother stayed behind?" at Dom's nod I sighed knowing the girl was definitely feeling the separation of the only member who survived the murder of their family.

"Where is she?" I asked softly.

"Back yard with the other Potentials." Faith replied.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then." Rupert stood moving towards the door. "I have something to take care of with Willow. I'll be back later." Then he was gone.

Once in the back yard it was easy to spot who the girl was. She stood apart from the other Potentials watching them go through their techniques. She looked lost and out of place. A lily in a vase of roses.

I watched her for a moment taking in her appearance and frowned. Her jet black hair was combed back and pulled severely into a braid that reached past her waist. Her features reminded me of Gia, so indigenous and her skin though not as dark as other Indians was still darker than the girls here, excepting Rona who was upstairs.

"You couldn't buy her any clothes?" I snapped at Ryan seeing the thin home spun dress she wore and the leather sandals on her feet.

"But I-." Ryan didn't get to finish his excuse as I walked over to the girl. She was thin as a reed and tall, for a kid anyway.

"Vienes de lejos." I said by way of greeting and offered her a gentle smile. She looked surprised and I guessed no one had spoken to her in her native tongue for a while. She nodded still not speaking. "Me llamo, Phade. Y tu?"

Her eyes shifted glancing about the yard nervously then she ducked her head and softly said; "Mayahuel de Garzés." Then she did a little curtsy. "Para servirle a usted."

Oh they raised this one in the old style, very proper and formal. I'd bet money my Dad had been pleased with the girls manners and I had no doubt this girl had weighted on all the guys hand and foot just the way she'd been taught. Well, that was going to change. No one was taking advantage of this girl, not while I'm around and by the time I'm done with her she's gonna make sure the guys are waiting on her hand and foot.

"Cuantos años tienes?" because if she was twelve like the other two around here somewhere I was gonna have to have words with those stupid Powers That Be.

"Catorce." She answered even softer than before. I made her look at me, raising her head with a finger under her chin.

"Primero, nunca agaches la cabeza, eso dice que eres débil y tu no eres débil. Segundo, aquí tu eres igual que cualquiera de esas muchachas y vas a entrenar con ellas." She looked frightened at the prospect of joining the Potentials. "Pero primero vamos a darnos una vuelta. Ven con migo." I smiled reassuring her that she'd be fine. At least this one was fourteen almost a young lady and in my culture that means you get a big party with a fancy dress when you turn fifteen. Only Mayahuel wasn't going to have her Dad waltz with her or have her mother teary eyed as she helped her get into the party dress. The again, she was here, at the HellMouth and with no guarantee that she would turn fifteen.

"Baby don't you have enough yet?" Ryan asked. I glared at him over my shoulder as we continued walking through the mall. Mayahuel wore her hair loose now, cut and styled so she looked like any other teenager at Buffy's. I'd bought her some clothes and she'd eagerly gotten rid of her dress thanking me for the gifts.

Now that was embarrassing and I made her knock it off immediately. I wasn't going to have her be all grateful just for some clothes, she should be grateful when they save her life.

Ryan clumped along behind us carrying all the bags managing to behave himself and clutching the little bag from Freddie's like it was gold. Oh, yeah. He knew if he wanted to see _that_ he better not piss me off before we got back to the house. Dom and Jessica took the SUV back to the motel and got their own rooms. I'd noticed he'd been eyeing Faith and before we left they were cozying up to each other. Guess I wasn't the only one having fun tonight.

"She needs a suitcase." I said pointing Ryan to the luggage. He rolled his eyes sighing dramatically but he went in there anyway. I could trust him to get her a good one and I took Mayahuel into Victoria's. Hey, she's almost fifteen and actually has more cleavage than Gia so I figure its time she gets some nice underwear.

By the time we got out of there Ryan was sitting in one of the benches sipping a smoothie. He winked seeing us approach then spotting the pink bags arched an eyebrow.

"Not for you." I scolded and chuckled at the forlorn look on his face.

"She's just a kid, honey." He whined obviously hoping they were for him-me-us! Jeez! Men make life complicated. Sometimes they behave like children- what am I saying? They always behave like kids!

I dropped down next to him and took the cup from his hand while he protested.

"Mmm." One of the things I love about Ryan is this little quirk of his. Offer him anything to drink and I mean anything then put a smoothie next to it and he always takes the smoothie. "It's good, pineapples?" I asked. He nodded taking the drink back and sipping.

"Pine apples, coconut and bananas." He mumbled through the straw. "Not half as good as the ones you make me though." He was loyal; then again I'm a good cook. I noticed Mayahuel still stood uncomfortably watching us.

"Siéntate." I told her motioning to Ryan's other side with a smile. He got the gist of what I said and winked offering her the empty seat. She was still uncomfortable around him and the others which is why Jessica had accompanied them on the trip here. My _Dad's_ idea. I gotta remember to tell my Dad not to have such brilliant ideas when my husband is involved. "Tienes hambre?" then I asked Ryan as well. "You hungry?"

His eyes lit up at the mere mention of food.

"Otra vez." I was beginning to get frustrated with these two and it was showing. They just weren't trying; to be honest Mayahuel was doing great considering this was her first training session. She was a quick learner but I worried she wasn't quick enough for what time there was left.

"Do you understand what it means to be paired off?" the girls looked at me unsure of how to answer. "Her weakness is your death." I pointed from one to the other. "Su fuerza es la tulla. Tienen que estar unidas. You have to be in sinc." I watched them stumble through the second form and fall tangled in each other.

"Enough! Ya esta bueno." I threw my hands up in defeat but only for the day. "You two are joined at the hip from now on. A donde Sabine va tu vas, and where Mayahuel goes you go. Got it." Only I wasn't asking and both knew it.

"Yes, ma'am." Sabine mumbled she frowned glancing at Mayahuel most likely feeling it was the older girl's fault she was getting picked on.

"You pissed cuz I put you two together?" Sabine immediately shook her head no. "Yeah, you are. You wanna lie to yourself go ahead." I stepped up until we were face to face. "Don't lie to me." her head jerked nodding. "Now, I put you two together and I'm on your ass because I want you to live long enough to get through this mess. You don't like the training I'm giving you, fine. I can find another Potential wiling to put up with this shit in order to stay alive. Make a choice Sabine because I won't take you back once you decide to go."

The girl was red faced and furious, not exactly the best time to be making this big a decision but to her credit she sucked in a deep breath then nodded. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited. Her face contorted with mulish anger but she managed to get the words past her clenched teeth.

"I'll stay."

"Good. You have a new routine now." I said walking towards the kitchen door. "Every morning, I want you both out here, temprano. Las dos van a practicar las formas que les enseñé. After you do the forms run through the regular exercises. Sit ups, push ups, crunches, lunges. Then start the sparring." I turned to Mayahuel and explained to her what I wanted done. She was immediately acquiescent and once inside the house I had her follow me into the living room where I'd left my bag. I took out the portable DVD player and the slim cd case with all the vids I downloaded on _Sesame Street_. We went into the dining room and I showed her how to use it. She was smiling completely engrossed in the antics of Elmo and the Cookie Monster.

On the road to enlightenment…


	7. Seven

They were so engrossed in the research no one noticed when I walked in but I heard them.

"Well, I was gonna do lots and lots of homework, but darn the luck, they went and canceled school so looks like I got the time." Dawn said and she didn't sound particularly enthused about school getting canceled. Hell, if it had been me I would've been begging to go to the beach!

I rounded the corner to find Buffy, Faith, the ever annoying Kennedy and the Key going through some files. "Hey."

"Hello." I replied with a nod to the group in general. When Dawn started on the uncomfortable questions. Buffy avoided her gaze and after the long conversation we'd had, well this wasn't the time to have the talk regarding Xander's eye or his medication.

"So what do we have here?" I asked putting myself in front of the Key. Annoying as she was she kept poking around my back.

"Some information Giles and Willow got from the police station." Buffy replied still with her eyes glued to the table. Once more the little Key moved around us and started with her questions. I threw her a glare she ignored and before I could send her away Faith did me the favor. Much too nicely.

"Try to find anything that looks like Caleb, his church, his ring..." Buffy said trailing off.

"His ability to render a Slayer useless in just one punch." My head snapped up from the file I was looking through glaring at Kennedy. Both Slayers looked up as well and quickly realizing it hadn't been smart to open her mouth Kennedy opened it again. "I didn't— that was stupid. I don't know why I said that."

"Really." I stated straightening.

"Uh, it's OK. Um...you know, I—I have to go to the school to pick up the rest of my stuff." Buffy waved her hand as if it was no big but I could see the sting of tears in her eyes. After all she'd done for these ingrates-.

"I really didn't mean—."

"It's fine. Really, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Buffy left while Kennedy headed back to the basement which is where she should have stayed in the first place. Faith sat down focusing on her task but me? I though it was about time to have a little talk with a certain instigator.

"Hold it." I watched Kennedy stiffen at the basement door which was still closed. She turned slowly her face an innocent mask. "Wipe it off I aint buying."

"Huh?" she looked confused for a moment but my furious glare warned her I wasn't about to play some stupid game. "I didn't mean-."

"You did." I cut her off. "You know exactly what you're doing and so do I. You think having a witch will protect you…" I scoffed laughing harshly. "You step out of line like this again and I will _personally_ make you regret ever being born."

"Are you threatening me?" Kennedy's voice raised an octave. There was anger and beneath that the tinge of worry. So she did believe me that was good. It meant I didn't have to give her any examples.

"Stating a fact. You want a threat? Just give me a reason." We held each others stare a long moment. She just refused to show fear which was good if she was fighting the night beast's, with me? I leaned in closer letting her feel the heat of my anger. "Make sure you're ready to follow through."

There was no doubt as to what I meant and having schooled her plenty this past week Kennedy knew the outcome. With a disgruntled sigh she stepped back and dropped her gaze. I relaxed my pose a fraction and waited for her to go back into the basement. When the door closed I turned going back into the dining room.

"You're evil." Faith murmured flipping the page in her file. I frowned at her taking my seat and pulling a stack of papers close.

"The bitch is getting out of hand. Too many of them are and no one is setting down rules or disciplining the ones who do get out of line." I muttered darkly.

"They're teenagers!" Faith retorted with a laugh.

"That's my point. They are not adults. They don't contribute to this house-."

"They're Potentials, PJ. They're here to fight-."

"No, they're here for protection and you all are telling them they have to fight." She glowered at me not liking what I had to say but it was true. Most of the girls came to Buffy for protection and she was making them fight, helping them die and it wasn't fair.

"They were chosen." Faith said tightly.

"By the Powers That Be, just like you were chosen." I sighed sitting back in the chair. "Faith, you didn't have much growing up, there was no real parental figure, no real guidance and you basically had to raise yourself. Think of everything that's happened to you. Think of all the bad choices… there was no one to tell you what you did was wrong. There was no one to show you what was right and what was wrong. I'm not excusing you or saying it wasn't your fault but the truth is you had the freedom to fuck up your life. Same thing these girls have right now."

There was silence and her face was flushed a light pink. Her brown eyes sparkled dangerously and I wondered if maybe I'd gone a bit far. Maybe I was out of line giving her my opinion on her life and what I saw happening here with the other Potentials. Who was I to interfere with their plans? Maybe this is just how they wanted to run the place, maybe this worked in some weird and incomprehensible way I didn't know about.

"I get it." Faith said quietly. After one last look she went back to her file and we spent the rest of the morning in silence.

Rupert arrived mid afternoon when I was ready to call it quits. I had gone through countless files looking for this Caleb but there wasn't anything remotely interesting. The fact that I kept thinking about Caleb, of my reaction to his presence and more importantly his voice had a lot to do with it. Buffy had thought it was funny, asked if I'd been hot over the 'evil preacher' but it wasn't that. Ok take away the evil part and he was a handsome man but still… no. It was more in the tone of his voice, there was something I wasn't getting and the more I kept trying to figure it out the further out of my reach it got. It's like when you're looking for a word and it's on the tip of your tongue but it just won't come out. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe my current state.

Oh, God. I'd begun to notice Andrew was a drama queen in the full sense of the term. Everything was a HUGE deal. There were no small emergencies with him like now. What is the big deal over a freaking Hot Pocket? And no one paid him any attention. Granted, there are bigger things going on like whatever Rupert found that was so interesting the Key needs to check it out.

I stood back, in the hall between the living room and the dining room just watching them all. Did they have any idea how ridiculous they looked? Andrew whining about his Hot Pocket, Rupert and the Key engrossed in the picture while the Potentials looked on mildly interested or bored.

"On the back wall, A... knothole." She looked moving the magnifying glass until she found what he was pointing out.

"That's not a knothole." She exclaimed looking up. No shit Sherlock. Seriously, could they not have given her more of a brain? Or did those guys protecting the Key not use the best of Buffy's DNA?

Rupert sent Amanda for the blond infection then Faith walked in eating the afore mentioned Hot Pocket. I rolled my eyes at the look on Andrew's face who apparently expected something to be done about the issue.

 _'Patience… patience is a virtue.'_

Yeah, well its one I don't have then because I was getting tired of just sitting around playing referee or setting up the Potentials in some kind of order. Now that had been difficult but then they realized it was a good thing and I got Xander to help…

"Spike, I have a mission for you."

"Oh, really? 'Cause, you know, sometimes our missions end up with you trying to kill me. I'm not fond of those." My ears perked up at that and I found myself taking a sneaking peek at his mind. I found the memory much sooner than I'd thought but when I did-. Buffy's nuts to keep this thing around. Soul or not he's a killer and he's so not like Angel. Eew! How could she ever-.

"Aah!" I covered my face and shook my head trying to get the image of _what_ they had been doing together out of my head. "Eegh." When I glanced up some of the Potentials where looking at me funny but I just stared right back.

"Looks like our boy's been here. You want me to go check it out?"

"I need someone who can take care of themselves in case Caleb has... left some souvenirs." Spike headed towards the door apparently ready to go beat up on something. His eyes locked on me the beast inside looking through the yellowed eyes. Here was one of the original four, the terrors of Europe. Killers.

"Are we gonna get to the food-stealing issue soon?" in retrospect, had Andrew kept his mouth shut …

"Take Andrew." Rupert called to his back. The vampire turned incredulous obviously not pleased by the command.

"Well, you are always saying you wanna get out of the house more." Wait, wasn't he their prisoner, sort of?

"There may be demons... lurking about. You never know. He's a demon expert. He can help." I straightened from my pose and watched with a hint of a smile as Rupert maneuvered them. I realized he was throwing back their words at them and he was pleased to be able to do so.

"Oh, please." Seeing the infection unhappy only made me feel all the more fuzzy inside.

"Well, he can bring his pan flute thing along. Excellent. Off you go." Rupert took Andrew by the shoulder and pushed him towards William. He followed the vampire meekly and I couldn't help but laugh at the last remark, maybe cuz he's English, but it just sounded funny.

"Excellent. Off you go." Yep, still funny as evident by my chuckles. Then Faith had the brilliant idea the Potentials needed to let off some steam. Normally I would just tell her to send them in the back and have them spar but that's not what happened.

"How about I say, bad idea?" I quipped with a smile moving into the living room.

"Aw come on PJ. You're saying you don't feel like a little fun?" Faith danced her way over obviously trying to be funny. Well, I could play her game too.

"Not at all," I took her hand and spun her around doing one of the turns Guy loved to try and trip me up with. "I'm a party freak but I don't think big sister is going to appreciate us taking _all_ the kiddies out after bedtime." I gotta say Faith is light on her feet and she didn't falter once not even when I dipped her.

"You got moves." Faith grinned as I let her up then she was all seriousness. "I'll take care of B. Now, get the troops ready to go."

I could feel it in my bones; this was not going to be a good thing.

"So what exactly were you planning on wearing?" I asked with an innocent smile. Faith turned to me, her face set with a scowl. Apparently she knew what I was thinking and that only made me smile brighter.

For once I was glad I still had the motel to finish getting ready in because having to share with a bunch of girls- I lost count after two dozen. When I first arrived at Buffy's I'd been surprised all these girls fit here. Most of them had been sleeping on the floor for lack of beds but after two days of trying to wade through the mess of bodies I roped Xander into helping with my next project. There were lots of complaints, mainly from the Key, but once Buffy saw it was to their benefit she let me get on with it. The only room I wasn't allowed to modify was hers but as the Slayer and leader she didn't need Potentials crowding her thinking space. She did let Faith sleep in there so I gave her a cute single bed with drawers underneath for her stuff. I made it my mission to make it cheerful for her seeing as how no one bothered to actually welcome her.

In Dawn's room we set up three bunks and got rid of her bed though I did give her a cot which we stuck in an empty corner for her to sleep in. That got rid of six bodies that would normally have slept on the floor and been in the way. Next, we hit Willow's room. She'd been using the master bedroom, biggest one in the house so we got rid of that bed too. I managed to fit another five bunks, a tight squeeze but we got another ten Potentials out of the way. Willow still had a bed in there and they all had their own bathroom so they really didn't complain.

The next area I wanted was the basement but that was a definite 'No' considering there was nowhere else to stick the infection. I had a perfect solution because in the form of ash he could fit in a nice jar on the living room mantle, if Buffy still wanted to keep him around.

I'd thought of turning the dining room into another 'barrack' but everyone still needed a place to sit and eat. The living room would have been my next choice but they still had to have a place to congregate and have their little meetings because, Gods forbid they have those in the basement.

In the end I had the girls help clear out the garage and set up bunks in there. Two days and the house took on some semblance of its original spaciousness. The girls had their own space even if it was tiny. It's amazing how many bunks we fit into Buffy's garage, wall to wall from the front to the back. The next task I set myself was figuring a way to keep the newer girls from dying off so soon. The easiest solution was to pair them off with older more experienced Potentials so they could help each other. Making them bunk buddies went a long way to making that happen. The problem was I still had plenty who were sleeping on the floor or living room couch. I did keep Sabine close, mostly because I felt responsible since I'd brought her here. I gave her and Mayahuel extra training and more of my attention but the girls were good and now they can hold their own with the other Potentials.

I knocked hearing the noise inside the house but when no one answered after the second knock I let myself in. I didn't get very far and the sound of the door closing behind me was loud and ominous. The sight before me had me wishing I'd just stayed outside.

"Phade." I heard my name through the cacophony of squealing excitement. There were girls _everywhere_! Had there been so many before-?

"PJ!"

Now that got my attention. Scowling at the hated nickname I found the source standing in the middle of the staircase. Faith waved her hand a bemused smile on her face. I doubted she found this funny but she wasn't about to tell them to shut up. I tried to walk over but found myself forcibly shut out by the swarm of bodies. The scowl encompassed the chaos in the house.

"Enough is enough." I muttered darkly and very deliberately prepared the levitation spell. These girls were in for a rude surprise.

I drew the energy I would need from around me so I wouldn't tire myself. It was a neat trick, one I learned the hard way.

 _'Air…'_

I felt the power coursing inside, it made my chest ache, felt my muscles tighten…

 _'Air… Fury…'_

The cool echo soothed my suddenly warm body. The voice familiar…

"Ihn so ahl deh." I whispered opening my eyes. I raised my hands palms up and watched the girls begin to float. The smile on my face did nothing to stop them from being frightened and the squeals became shouts. When the furniture started to rise I realized my mistake. I hadn't been specific as to what I wanted to 'rise'.

"Uh-oh." Well, I didn't have time to modify the spell and fix it so…

"Aa!" "Ow!" "Get off!" "You're on my leg!" "Eat much!" "You're not so light either!"

All right so I didn't get rid of the yelling but at least they were temporarily out of my way. With a roll of my eyes I picked my way through the tangle of bodies and headed towards Faith.

"Neat trick." She stood hands on hips obviously not thinking it was so neat.

"I would've thought you'd like the feeling of being weightless." I said looking at the girls picking themselves up.

"It's the landing I had problems with."

"Well, it wasn't a perfect spell." I shrugged giving her a slight smile before I turned to the loud Potentials and in my best 'Dom' voice yelled for order.

"ALL RIGHT ON YOUR FEET AND SHUT YOUR TRAPS." The girls closest to me flinched from the loudness but I got all of their attention. "We leave in ten minutes. Those of you not here by then can stay behind." With a glare I raised my voice again. "QUIT THE YELLING AND GET MOVING."

They rushed off in different directions glowering, complaining or muttering and all the time getting louder.

"NINE MINUTES AND LOWER THE VOLUME!"

"Damn, PJ. You're like a drill sergeant." Faith quipped and I noticed her mischievous grin in place yet again.

"Six brothers, two sisters." I shrugged. "Mamá had a thing about too much noise." I smiled then looked her over and was disappointed. "After all the stuff we got _this_ is what you're wearing?" I asked in disbelief. I mean the black jeans and tank fit her nicely but she looked- looked as if-.

"What, it's good for fighting." Faith replied not caring.

"That's the problem." I retorted with half a mind to take her upstairs and make her change. "You're not going to a fight." She looked about ready to make a smart comment. "That I know of." I added hastily.

"Obviously not but you never know." She shrugged then ran her eyes over me. "Look at you!" she exclaimed. Faith gently pushed me back so she could get a good look at my lack of clothes.

Ok, so maybe that's an exaggeration but they did say we were going to a club. To me, that means dress up, key word being; dress. Ryan hadn't had a problem when he picked it out then again I doubted he expected me to wear it so soon or without him.

"Kinda slutty." Faith smirked. I crossed my arms arching an eyebrow. "Not bad."

"Thanks, it was Ryan's pick." I fidgeted with the neckline- lack of.

"Oh!" she exclaimed leaning against the wall. "I've been meaning to ask-."

"No." I cut her off with a good idea of what she wanted to know. "No questions because I'm pretty sure I know where your minds at." To avoid her intense stare I looked around seeing the Potentials still running around then glanced at the hall clock. It still gave them another five minutes.

"Woa, you're the reserved type?" her incredulous tone drew my eyes again. She seemed surprised. "The way you throw down-. You just don't seem the type is all."

"Yeah, well there's a time and a place…" I trailed off hearing the echo of my Dad's words as they left my mouth. I turned tugging on my ponytail and realized there wasn't a whole lotta room for the girls in my Shelby.

"We need transportation." I turned to Faith.

"Like a bus." She quipped.

"That's helpful. I'm assuming you drive." I wasn't really asking but I had my doubts.

"If that's what you wanna call it, sure." At my look she rolled her eyes and nodded. "No license, though. They don't exactly hand those out in the pen."

"I'll take your word for it. Look, you find me some legal drivers, I'll go get us some keys."

I headed off in search of Rupert. As the oldest adult in the house I figured he would have them and it was only polite to ask him for permission to use the cars anyway.

"Mr. Giles." I found him in a room upstairs, hiding from the girls I would think. It used to belong to Joyce, her little office away from work so to speak. He turned took one look at me and tripped.

"Uhmmm." Can you say 'embarrassed'? I was beginning to think I should go back to the hotel and slip into a par of jeans and a tank like Faith. The dress had _seemed_ like a good idea at the time but the little black mini left my back bare, reached just below my ass and the neckline- well…

Was this the reaction I'd be getting the rest of the night? Rupert's face was bright pink and I could get a glimpse of his emotions, that's how strong they were but to his credit he cleared his throat and looked at my face.

"Phade, you look lovely." I had to force my hands to stay at my sides because I wanted to force the two tiny pieces of black material close together so they covered my chest. It really wasn't enough…

Damn Ryan and his slutty fashion sense.

"Thank you. We- I." with a deep breath I tried again. "I was wondering if it would be all right to use the other cars." His brow furrowed so I explained. "Too many girls…" I shrugged then winced as his face twitched. He really was trying not to let his eyes wander and doing a great job of being a gentle man. Must be the English in him.

"Of course," he practically jumped at the excuse to look away. "Yes, keys err-mmm." He poked around shuffling papers, moving books out of the way and making a messier mess of the desk than before. Actually, this was getting to be a bit funny hearing him mutter to himself. I couldn't help the quirky smile as my eyes noticed the hooks over the desk and there a bunch of shiny keys. I stepped into the room and pointed.

"I think I found them."

He stopped; face blushing furiously as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, err, here." He fiddled with them then handed me two sets. "For the jeep and Xander's…"

I took them offering a smile as thanks.

"Do be-."

"Careful?" I finished. Turning away I nodded. "We will, Mr. Giles."

"Got a couple say they're legal." Faith reported as I stopped in the living room. It was full of girls. I glanced at the clock seeing I'd given them an extra five minutes. Shit, well there were some still missing.

"You four have a license?" I asked skeptically and at their nods I was left with no choice but to peek. It was easy to find what I wanted since they all pretty much had the thought fore most in their mind.

The fist Potential, one of the bigger girls with freckles all over her face and chest had barely passed her drivers test and had no road experience.

"Ha!" I couldn't help it. Who would be stupid enough to let her learn with a bunch of girls in the car?

The next one, a petite little thing with blond hair had a tendency to make wide turns or drive over curbs. Well, she was out!

The next one, a tall lanky brunette by name of Dane was just a year younger than Kennedy but unlike Kennedy, Dane hadn't crashed a car.

"Here you go." I handed Dane the keys to the jeep figuring the girl could handle it.

"What?" the others exclaimed demanding to know why she got to drive while they didn't and Kennedy was the loudest.

"Keep talking and you can stay." I said quietly. They heard me though and shut up immediately. Kennedy threw a glare my way heading to the couch. I turned with the keys held out to Faith.

"We got the jeep and Xander's car." She took the keys smirking. "Take the crab with ya please."

"What'd she do?" Faith asked looking at Kennedy with a chuckle.

"Car accident." I threw her an annoyed look. "You get pulled over let her flash the card just _don't_ let her drive." I warned.

"Not a problem."

It took another ten minutes to parcel out the girls so they sort of fit into the three cars. Dane got saddle with a mob in the back of the jeep with another six in the back seat, sitting on laps of course. There were lots of complaints but when I mentioned they _didn't_ have to go it got real nice and pleasant.

Faith had a full load as well and instead of just three in the front seat I threw in four including Faith as the driver. Kennedy just glared out the windshield and I really wanted to leave her behind for being such a, pendeja.

I had to put the top down on the Shelby and picked the twiggiest of girls to take. It worked out though, six in the back and two beside me.

We left the younger ones behind with Rupert and Anya. I know, it makes no sense. They were too young to get in the Bonze but not young enough to fight a war and die. This was so wrong in many ways but it was their life. The girl's needed to learn more about who and what they were. They needed to learn new skills to stay alive and that was Rupert's job as the only Watcher.

I felt more than guilty having left Mayahuel behind. She was the newest Potential and I felt responsible for her. She had no family save a younger brother currently living with the Hell's Angel's, my Dad and son. These last two days I'd taken more time with her than the others besides Sabine. I paired them up in order to keep them close. In a way they were mine because I had brought them here and I was going to do my best to make sure they survived this war. I still couldn't believe Sabine's parents had just let her come to the HellMouth knowing their only child could die but Wesley sure had a way with words and here she was.

Mayahuel was different, she still didn't speak a lick of English but she understood what anyone said to her. She hadn't finished the Sesame Streets vids I downloaded. She shied away from speaking to anyone other than myself or Sabine but with some time, which she might not have, I hoped she'd get over it.

Ryan even got her a cell phone so she could talk to her brother whenever she felt like it.

 _"Two for one."_ He'd said meaning the phones. He got a good plan considering the free minutes. We all have the same carrier. Either way I planned on keeping those two close when the fighting started.


	8. Eight

The Bronze was situated in a sort of industrialized area of Sunnydale. At least I assumed we were still in Sunnydale. The warehouses looked abandoned some were falling apart, the metal corroded and tinged red with rust. The closer we got to the Bronze the more life I began to notice. People were still pulling up, parking in side alleys just like we were doing. It wasn't my choice but if there was no where else then I guess this would do. I pulled up behind the jeep and parked close to the wall but since the top was down the girls could climb out. I waited for them and then put the top up and got out.

The other Potentials were all ready giggling and squealing in excitement. You'd think they'd never been to a club before and maybe some of them hadn't but the others?

"Hey." I grabbed Dane's arm and had her walk with me towards the door. "You're driving so no drinking anything other than soda." I warned. She made a face but nodded agreement and just to make sure the others got my point; _"If you didn't know it already let me say I'll be watching all of you and I don't need my eyes to do it."_

The girls freaked out as expected with only a few who thought it was 'cool' I could speak inside people's heads. There would definitely be questions later.

Inside the music was blaring and it wasn't to my liking. They just weren't harsh enough. The girls spread out clumping in small groups. Faith wasted no time. She strode in, a wide smile on her face and let out a pent up breath. She looked as if the chains that held her in place, chains of duty and new found loyalty, had fallen away. At least for this one moment she could be free to enjoy herself, free to be just another young woman out with friends to enjoy herself.

Suddenly, I found myself being dragged onto the dance floor, Faith's hand gripping my wrist as she pulled me into the swaying bodies.

"You could ask." I grumbled looking around. There were couples and groups all moving to the beat the band was pumping out.

"Come on, I _know_ you can dance." Faith smirked bumping me with her hip. She moved with wild abandon, eyes closed and after a moment I joined her. I let the beat lead my body and then both of us moved facing each other then away as the music continued. Just because I didn't particularly like the band playing didn't mean I couldn't dance. Years of it and family gatherings left their mark and I found myself enjoying this. How long had it been since I'd done this? Gone out and just let myself have fun?

I'd gone out with Ryan and the Hell's Angel's twice before but both times we had been working so it wasn't as if I'd actually been free to just move. The brief honeymoon in Las Vegas didn't count either because I'd been only seventeen, mentally at least. It occurred to me that Ryan owed me a real honeymoon or maybe I owed it to him but just thinking about it I knew. I was sure about this, I wanted to be his wife and I knew he loved me. He'd proven it more than once and now, with both my Father and son in his care he was proving how much he did love me.

I was still afraid.

One heavy hand dropped on my hip as I swayed. Before I could remove it another pulled me back into a hard chest. This wasn't at all what I had been expecting then again I was half naked so…

"Hey." I pried both hands off and turned. The smile was sweet and finding one of the older Potentials close at hand maneuvered the guy until he was hanging on her. Satisfied to have disposed of the inconvenient nuisance I turned and found myself alone.

"What the hell…" I watched as Faith danc-teased, yep, she teased them. The girl moved inside the circle the guys had formed around her and using those big doe eyes of hers smiled knowingly at each one.

 _"What's the deal? You just_ abandoned _me."_ I sent her my thought and looking around she grinned seeing the fake pout I threw at her.

 _"I got a new audience. No offence PJ but you don't have what they got."_

"Oh!" I gasped half laughing at her remark. _"I would hope not!"_ I quipped with a small shake of my head. She winked and pointed at me.

 _"You got company. They're not half bad."_

What was she talking about? I turned and found my nose pressed up against a solid chest. "Ooh!" I pushed back and was pulled up against the guy again. "Hey!" I scowled shoving off with more force. The guy stumbled and there was another one taking his place. I moved off avoiding his grasping hand as well with a smile and finally got off the dance floor heading to the bar.

Ridiculous. That's the only word to describe how men were behaving and because of this dress! You know, we shouldn't have to put up with their behavior just because of the way we're dressed. Yes, it's a little short and yes my back is bare, so what if the neckline is practically non existent, it's a fucking halter top!

 _'Like sharks in bloody water.'_ It concurred and for once I agreed.

"Tequila. Double." The bartender pulled out a shot glass and served it up then watched as I downed the liquor all at once. I felt the liquid burn down my throat and warm my insides. I smiled and set the shot glass down.

"Anything else?" he asked with a lazy grin.

Ok. So not responsible on my part but I was feeling a little frazzled and it's not like I'm going to get drunk off one measly shot. It usually takes three.

 _'Double shot, doesn't that make it two?'_

Oh, so _not_ the time to be getting smart with me.

"Margarita, virgin." See, I'm being responsible now. As I waited I cast my thoughts out and found the Potentials still safe and out of harm. They were having fun; dancing, playing pool, laughing and flirt-.

"The little shit." I hissed locking onto Amanda and her drunken disordered thoughts. The first thing I told them _not_ to do-! God they really are kids. What idiot had given her alcohol?

I took my drink but before I could pay for it the bartender shook his head and winked. Yay, a free drink and it wasn't the first time a bartender had done it so I smiled a thank you. I took a sip when a husky voice tickled my ear.

"Hope you don't mind," I turned looking up into pale green eyes. "I already paid." His smile was gorgeous with a dimple in his left cheek. He was one of those tall blond men you lobbed into the Greek God category. He was striking with sandy blond hair slightly wavy and combed out of his face. Pale green eyes wide set and framed by dark lashes. His nose was perfect, you would think he'd had it done and his mouth, though wide was not big with a bottom lip you could just bite-.

Gorgeous.

"Not at all." I smiled taking another sip of my drink which I held in my left hand. I hadn't taken off my rings since I'd put them on the morning Ryan called to say they were arriving in Sunnydale. Either Mr. Greek God didn't see them, which wasn't possible, or he ignored them, much more of a possibility.

Some men just liked the challenge.

Still with one of the male species in attendance the others would keep their distance. He wasn't bad looking so why complain?

 _'You're married…'_

God damn! Would you shut it-.

 _'Married, married…'_

That singsong thing isn't cute! I'm definitely making some time in the near future to make that voice corporeal and then… then I'm going to make it disappear.

"For Ever!"

 _'Ha, ha, ha. I'm part of you. Kill me and you become a vegetable, or a lunatic.'_

Krap.

Well, I'm not that sane anyway.

Pointedly ignoring the mocking voice in my head I let Mr. God lead me away. He found us a cozy corner and procured me a high stool. I sat with a grateful sigh. New heels are a bitch to break in but they were so cute with the strappy th- ok, so not the time for shoe gushing.

He made conversation, asking my name, commenting on its originality though I personally didn't think so.

Phade. I mean, how many jokes can you make out of that? I won't bother repeating the stupidity of the ones I've had to listen to my entire life. Then again it could be worse; they could've named me Buffy. Yeah, a spic named Buffy. I couldn't help my chuckle which he assumed was due to what he was saying. You know, every guy has the same basic spiel.

 _What's you're name?_

 _Where are you from?_

 _Do you come here often?_

 _So what do you do for fun?_

Hello, I'm at a club. What do you think I'm doing here? Jeez, men are idiots. Then there's the inevitable, so what do you do for a living?

How is that important?

"You live around here?" I asked interrupting his little story. For a moment he looked put out but then he answered and took another drink.

"Where are you from?" Hey, if they can ask those stupid questions then why cant I?

Twenty minutes later I have a new drink in hand, no alcohol and it turns out Mr. Oliver Queen went to an all boys school.

"Those are still around?" I'd thought those schools were all coed now or closed down. What parent would want to send their kid away for most of the year? I couldn't, I'd miss him too much, like I do now.

"They're more common than you think." He chuckled.

"You're the second person I've met who's been to one." I replied thinking of my old high school French teacher.

"And what do you think?"

"About…" I laughed seeing that he was fishing for a compliment. "Considering Mr. Geroni was fifty-five at the time, not to mention my French teacher…"

"Oh," Oliver shook his head grinning. "Tu parle français?"

Well, shit. Now he wanted to show off.

"Je parle un piu. Not enough to have a conversation so I'd say no. Half the time I don't even know what word goes where." I rolled my eyes remembering how badly I would mess up in class. Mr. G would get annoyed whenever I threw in a Spanish word but I could swear it sounded right.

"I could help with that." He looked at me, green eyes intense and I felt just a little bit nervous as he leaned closer not to mention my arm tingled. I had to look away and duh! He was caressing my arm, his fingers lightly running down and up my arm.

"I don't doubt you could but I've got two full languages in my brain and a good grasp of a third. I think I can do with what little I remembered from school." Hopefully he'd let it drop and we could just keep-.

"English of course but the second-?" he waited green eyes questioning. It gets annoying after a while I mean cant they tell? I don't look white, don't look Asian either, I'm not dark enough to be considered black so what's left?

"I grew up hearing Spanish and when school started I had to learn English. I'm fluent in both, reading, writing…" I shook my head remembering how annoyed I would get. "I have my Dad to thank for that."

"The third?" Oliver asked nodding. So, Dad comment not a good one I guessed. Maybe he just didn't get along with his and the easy way to find out was to take a little peek but I promised. If I broke it now then I would never stop finding excuses to look inside people's minds and find all their dirty little secrets. I didn't have that right even if I could do it.

"Italian." I sighed thinking about that year.

"Language of romance." He quipped.

"Just one of them." I replied with a smile. "But Paolo…" I sighed leaning back in the seat.

"Paolo?" I glanced at him from the corner of my eye before answering.

"Transfer student. Tall, dark hair, very polite and oh so gorgeous." I sat up facing him once more. "He had the entire female student body at his finger tips."

"Hmm." Oliver nodded as if he could understand perfectly what I described. Maybe he could seeing as how he's extremely easy on the eyes as well. "Must've been quite a year. Did you two date?"

"Are you kidding?" I scoffed with a real laugh. "My Dad would have _killed_ him."

Oliver looked amused by that if not a bit confused.

"We were his host family during his year in the states." I explained. "Had poor Paolo tried _anything_ …" I shook my head remembering the hard time Lui and Guy gave him the first couple of months. "If my Dad didn't threaten bodily harm I have six brothers who most likely did."

"That would do it." Oliver chuckled straightening from his relaxed pose against the wall.

"Yes, but a girl can dream and I found myself doing just that. A lot." I smiled wistfully thinking we have it so much easier when we're younger and all we want just then is to be grown up.

"Let me guess, the little house in some rustic village and lots of little bambinos running around." Oliver was grinning, the dimple making an appearance. I laughed nodding because that's exactly what I'd wanted.

"His year was up, Paolo went home and after a couple of months the e-mails stopped." I sighed tragically and winked at Oliver.

"Well, that's a boy." He remarked.

"And a man." I frowned daring him to deny that men didn't do the same thing now. He bowed his head acquiescing graciously. I couldn't help but think how smooth he reacted.

"Six brothers?" the question shouldn't have surprised me but then I'd been wandering mentally.

"Yes," I smiled embarrassed. People never got tired of asking if my parents had owned a TV as if that would have stopped them from having such a large family. "Mamá alw-."

The shot rang clearly in the building echoing from one corner to another and cutting through the music. I jumped to my feet shoving the drink in to Oliver's hand as I hurried to the front of the crowd. They were gathered at a side door of the Bronze and I pushed my way through bodies. I cast about for the Potentials and found them all before turning my attention to Faith.

"Faith, Faith… where the hell are you?" I muttered not finding her anywhere in the club. I noticed Dane on my left and grabbed at her arm. The guy in my way stumbled back glaring but didn't say anything.

"Where's Faith?" I asked ignoring her flinch but I did lessen my grip on her forearm.

"The police men took her outside." She pointed at the door where one officer stood guard holding a shotgun. "I think she's in trouble." Dane replied looking worried.

No shit, she's in trouble. I cursed Wesley and his brilliant idea. Hadn't I said he would get her in more trouble by breaking her out? I cast my thoughts outside finding the five men immediately. I recoiled from the darkness in them, pulled myself out of the drowning depths struggling to break free. I retreated into the Bronze and focused on the Potentials instead. Kennedy and Dawn were making enough noise I didn't bother with them.

 _"We need to get outside."_ They started, nervously glancing around. " _Now is a good time to use all that training, girls."_ still they hesitated, glancing at each other nervously. What was wrong with them? It was one man. A _regular_ man so why did they hesitate?

"You should move back." A firm hand grasped my elbow pulling me into the crowd. "It's not safe that close to the front." I frowned at Oliver. His green eyes seemed a shade darker.

"Sorry," I disengaged myself from his hand. "But I have some girls that need watching." The Potentials surged forward causing a roar of noise. I grinned at the shocked look on his face. Looking over my shoulder I saw them… all those girls…they're a beautiful thing to look at when they're in motion. That's when you know- know this is what they were born to do.

To fight.

"Bye." I winked at Oliver his gaze shifting to me. He opened his mouth probably to ask a question but I sank into the stone floor.

I know, I know! It was juvenile; an exit like that when I could've just walked out behind the Potentials but this is more fun. Besides, the look on Oliver's face… priceless!

You know not every place has good stone and by that I mean clear, smooth, pure quality. Nature has some of the best but after all the pollutants and chemicals poured into it well, there's not much of it left. The Bronze was no better but compared to the street in LA where I'd found Sabine it was a hundred times better! I moved lazily enjoying the grayness when I felt the tender jolt pulse though me.

Faith.

Damn, I still got sucked into the feeling of the stone. Rising quickly I found myself outside the Bronze, a foot away from the evil cops. I came up behind one as they beat Faith with their clubs. One handed I grabbed the back of his vest and yanked him off. He rolled grunting as he hit the pavement, confused while I grabbed a second one. I threw him into his brother in blue and both fell in a tangle of limbs. I turned back intending on grabbing another when the black night stick covered my sight. I stumbled; the cold pavement scraped my palms and knee. Surprised I looked up but the cop had returned to the Slayer. The dull throbbing in my temple pulsed in time to my heart beat. Again I sank into the stone and just as quickly my hand shot forth. I found him, grabbing his ankle I pulled him down easily. When I rose in front of the screaming man he was immersed up to his knees; he clawed at them trying to pull himself up and calling for help.

The Potentials surged behind me like a wave. I moved out of their way and let them deal with the men. They were girls after all and human, they couldn't hurt the men too much. I, on the other hand, could.

One of the officers drew his weapon intending to fire into the crowd of girls. Eyes blazing I looked at him, the gun glowed red orange in the night and screaming he dropped it then waved his scalded palm in the air.

 _"Bad boy."_ I whispered in his mind. He looked up horrified but before I could do more than smile I heard Buffy.

"Faith! What are you doing?"

"Just blowing off steam. Well, it started that way. Turned when the cops went evil on us." Faith had a point there. They had all been having fun until these idiots showed up causing trouble.

"You got here a bit late for the fun, Buffy." Those green eyes turned to me full of anger. They looked me over obviously not approving of my attire, or rather the lack of.

"You too?" she scowled and I knew what she was thinking. Here I am, older and wiser than these kids yet I'm caught in a fight. Well, what could I say? I shrugged and watched her face harden then her eyes took in the Potentials behind us and ordered them to go home. She ignored their protests as her eyes fell on the officer now whimpering, tears running down his contorted face as he begged for help.

"What did you do?" her voice was low and rasping not sure who was responsible until I stepped forward.

"He wasn't playing nice." Buffy's eyes traveled the length of me once more but her expression escaped my understanding. The officer flinched falling back on his ass with nowhere to go and afraid of me. The Potentials watched as I grabbed his throat and easily lifted him out of the pavement.

"Next time," I warned yanking his face close to mine where he saw the gray shimmer. He gagged; unable to draw away, his eyes bulged with fear. "Play nice."

"What are you?" Buffy whispered. I let go of the man watching him crumple to the ground before facing her.

"I told you." The click of the gun was loud and without thought I turned. One hand averted the aim of the gun as he pulled the trigger sending the bullet into the side of the building instead of the girls. My knee connected with his face with more force than I should've used. The hot surge of blood wet my skin and it trickled down my leg. He choked and fell aside clutching at his broken face. The bone had crunched beneath my blow and I flicked a wayward tooth off me before facing Buffy, the gray fading from my brown eyes.

"I'm a different animal."


	9. Nine

It took a while before _they_ returned to the house and most of the girls were upset about the cops beating up on Faith, then Buffy comes in and 'ruins' their fun by sending them all home and now they're sort of avoiding me because of what I did with the stone and all… I heard them whispering to the others, the ones we left here.

I wondered if they truly feared me or if maybe just having seen _that_ freaked them out and once they got used to the idea they would be ok with it. I mean, it's not like I'm a vampire living in Buffy's basement. I'm not about to suck them dry or hunt them down- unless they go evil and I have to then its totally different because-.

I stopped where I was at the top of the stairs when I heard them in the living room. I made my way quietly down to the middle and sat listening to Buffy. After the fucked up raid on thevineyard there were a lot of unhappy people not to mention dead ones and every one was scared. I'd never been around so many- how to explain the way they all behaved is beyond my words. I just know that this isn't how you win a war.

Caleb.

Buffy had a visit from him and though the others were worried she brushed it off. I admired her strength even with all the bad she kept going and she pulled everyone along with her. She gave them of her strength and they didn't even know it let alone appreciated.

Buffy wanted to go back into the vineyard. I could've told her that wasn't going to go over well with all those girls. They were terrified, they didn't want to die, they didn't want to face Caleb or his Bringers. They were just kids but Faith? God the girl had some balls and right now the worst timing. She should've waited to voice her concerns in private instead of laying it out like this. That Principal was getting on my last fucking nerve as well.

I felt my face heat hearing Rupert Giles, her supposed Watcher, just- God what was he thinking! How could he contradict her like this in front of those girls? Did they realize what they were doing? Did they even care?

 _"I—I don't understand this. For 7 years, I've kept us safe by doing this— exactly this, making the hard decisions. And now, what— suddenly you're all acting like you can't trust me?"_ she was nervous; I could hear it in her voice. She was beginning to see her ally's, those she'd counted as friends turning away from her.

 _"Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us? Maybe there's something there that should be addressed."_ Rupert again only this time I heard the underlying pain. The awkwardness between the Slayer and her ex-Watcher made sense now. He was feeling her pull away from him and it hurt. It hurt to feel like he wasn't needed, that she could function on her own without help from him or anyone else. That's what had him behaving this way, like a fucking child who couldn't have his way.

I could see how they thought she was being reckless. I'd thought Buffy was just another little blond girl happy to stake and run, making her little quips but that's not all she is. This girl is the real deal, a Slayer and now they all think she's throwing them into the beast's mouth just for fun? Willow should know better and Xander but after loosing an eye I can understand his- reluctance? Still, they could've said all this in private. They could've waited until the Potentials were bunked down and had their little intervention but this?

This was just-.

"Ingrates."

I didn't realize I was in the living room until I saw them all. The door had closed silently before I was all the way down the stairs.

"Excuse me." Kennedy took a step forward glaring.

"You're all ingrates." I repeated glancing at each one. They flinched beneath my furious stare. "She's taken you in, made room for you in _her_ house." I looked at the Key pointedly. Her face flushed getting my meaning. "Her best friends…" I scoffed with a cold smile. "So you can't see her point because it happens to be a little to your left, Xander." I nodded. "You really thought you'd get away without a scratch for ever?"

"That's not fair!" Willow cried coming to his defense. I turned to her calmly.

"And you were fair?" she didn't answer and the guilt was all over her face and body language. "What happened to all the stick together krap and the 'I've seen her heart' speech you gave, Xander?" He tuned away. "You think this was the best way to voice you're hurt over not being needed as much, Rupert?" he flinched at the question. He probably hadn't thought anyone had noticed. "You've been her Watcher since she first came to Sunnydale. You've watched her grow into the woman she is. You helped raise her, mold her and now you're saying you didn't do a good enough job?"

"That's not what-."

"You've implied it." I jabbed a finger in his direction. "Just because she doesn't ask for you're advice, doesn't look to you for answers the way she used to depend on you." I shook my head disgust at his behavior clearly written on my face. They all saw it; saw what I thought of them.

"Who are you to come-?" I turned my glare on Anya. As a vengeance demon she might have given me a bad time but she was mortal now.

"Why are you even here?" I asked glaring at Anya. "Don't you have some demon friends willing to protect you? Why are you hiding at Buffy's house? After everything you said it's obvious you don't think much of her so what are you doing here?"

"Wh- ah-." Her mouth open and closed like a floundering fish. She looked around hunching into herself and maybe she was hoping someone would come to her rescue. Her eyes landed on Xander but he wasn't feeling much like being a knight in shining armor what with a missing eye.

"Don't look at him. Cant you defend your self?" I glared all around seeing the glowers and guilty looks. They didn't like what I was saying to them but the way they treated Buffy-. God I couldn't just stand here and let them think they got away with this!

"You all think the same. You think Buffy was _born with certain advantages_." I mockingly glanced at Anya. "You think she _wanted_ this legacy? You think she jumped for joy when she found out she was the next Slayer. You think she _liked_ knowing she wouldn't live to grow old let alone turn sixteen or even seventeen?"

"But she did." I glared at Rona. Out of all the Potentials she's the one who had the most to say about the situation she found herself in. "She's here, she's not dead."

"Now." I retorted. "Who brought her back the first time she died?" I looked around my eyes resting on Xander but he refused to look up. "And the second time?" I turned to Willow who blushed eyes lowering to the floor. "She died saving the world twice and you ungrateful little bitches think you can do better! You are all going to die. You're all dead you just don't know it yet and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can start living-."

"Shut up!" the Key shoved at my arm her eyes glittering with tears face flushed. "Shut up!"

"Touch me again," I warned with a raised fist.

"What!" she yelled tears now flowing down her face freely. As answer a shower of flames burst up my forearm in a bright gust then lazily wavered like the flame of a candle. She jumped back with a choked squeak and the Potentials all exclaimed frightened drawing away.

"You think you're real don't you." My voice was even; gentle but there was an underlying threat anyone with half a brain could hear. "You think you have rights but the truth is you don't. You don't have any rights besides those Buffy _gave_ you. This is _her_ house, those fake memories are just that, _fake_ and Joyce? She never gave birth to you, never carried you in her womb, you don't even know what it feels to be born like the rest of us so tell me, what gave you the impression you're nothing more than a cheap copy of Buffy?"

I lowered my arm as the front door closed again and the flames died out. I looked over the Key one last time with contempt, lips curling in a sneer as I turned away.

"That's enough!" Rupert growled coming forward.

"You're right." I turned to him and nodded. "Because all you want is to lay blame. You're not happy with the life you now have. Xander looses an eye because he's helping save Kennedy and yet she hasn't had the _decency_ to at least thank him. But that's alright. Let's just blame Buffy for that too and then Willow won't have to feel guilty for defending her little girlfriend instead of her best friend since high school who's saved her life more than once. All the Potentials can rot seeing as how they run wild with no adult willing or able to come forward and set down some rules but then you don't care if one of them goes down the same path Faith did. Oh right, she wasn't your Slayer so I guess it's not your fault either. Nothing is anyones fault because everyone here is perfect. Everyone _knows_ what to do."

He was right, it was enough because there was nothing else I could say to make them see what they had just done.

"You can fight this little war on your own. All of you," I pointed to the Potentials. "Little girls, a witch afraid to use her power." I nodded at Willow who now held the Key trying to comfort her. "A Key that doesn't work anymore thanks to Buffy, an ex-Watcher and one Slayer." My eyes locked on Faith. "Not a lot of power here because I'm going home." I headed up the stairs to Buffy's room which is where I'd been keeping some of my weapons.

"Phade." Faith called in shock.

"You're missing a vampire, a Slayer and me." I threw over my shoulder as I stopped on the third step. "Now's a good time to figure out what to do."

Faith looked around at the silent faces. "What the hell happened?" she asked. I ignored them, tuned out their yapping whining voices and complaints. What the hell was I doing here?

I took my time looking around Buffy's bedroom, at the pictures she had of Willow and Xander. She had stuffed animals laying about some dried flowers obviously a memento and on the dresser in an open box a silver cross. I hadn't pictured her as the religious type. I shrugged pushing it aside with a finger; it clinked on the porcelain revealing the clahddagh ring it had been hiding. I frowned somehow knowing I'd seen it before-.

"Angel." Of course. He had one though he hadn't worn it- come to think of it I hadn't seen him wearing it since before Connor was born.

The door opened then she knocked. I couldn't help the smile as I turned to look.

"I'm not even going to ask-." She began waving her hands in an 'I give up' imitation. I left Buffy's jewelry box were it was and moved to the foot of her bed were my weapons were laid out.

"I wasn't about to explain myself." I began putting the weapons in the leather duffel being careful to wrap the blades in the soft chamois cloths.

"Look, I get you're feeling out of place here-."

This was her attempt to get me to change my mind? I laughed straightening; the weapons lay on the bed forgotten for the moment.

"I'm not out of place here. This feels just like home except for the lets mutiny and have Captain Buffy walk the plank." I retorted. "They're ungrateful, all of them." I waved in the general direction of the group downstairs as I went back to my packing.

"I didn't ask-." Faith threw up her hands as if to ward off the accusations but I wasn't accusing her. If anything they had used her as an excuse, they were so afraid they took the opportunity to throw the blame on Buffy and with Faith here they had a back up Slayer to take over for the one they didn't like.

"And you didn't stop it either. I don't know what happened before and I don't care but I'm not fighting for a bunch of scared little girls too stupid to realize they _are_ going to die and it's on their heads _not_ Buffy and _not_ yours."

"You think she's right?" the quiet question caught my attention and I looked at the dark Slayer. I realized she was worried, she probably thought she wouldn't be able to fit in Buffy's shoes let alone lead those sniveling wretches downstairs.

"Did I say that?" I asked buckling the straps on my duffel. "I thought I was telling you not to let them run you." I hefted the duffel on my shoulder walking to the door. "All of them." I stopped at the door with my hand on the knob. "Faith." I turned around opening the door. "You're a Slayer. Maybe you're not the first but neither was Buffy. Time to grow up baby girl. Just don't die yet."

"Ha!" Faith laughed and finally I saw a real smile, her 'I don't give a shit' smile and I shrugged.

"Hey, you grew on me." and that was no lie. I liked the dark Slayer, like the woman she was, all rough and hard edges though deep down she hid the soft mushiness every woman possessed be she mortal or Slayer.


End file.
